Venus

Peter O'Toole is a dirty old man - a part he plays remarkably well in Venus, the story of a couple of old actors whose life is upset by the arrival of a teenage girl. One of the two friends, Ian, (a hypochondriac who likes an ordered life) is stressed out by the arrival of his grand niece, but Maurice (Peter O'Toole) immediately "hits" on the bewildered girl, calling her Venus. Jodie Whittaker plays the sullen teenage girl well. Jesse, aka Venus is repulsed, fascinated, confused and flattered by Maurice's attentions and slowly comes out of her sullen, tracksuit- wearing, shell. Maurice is indefatigable, resourceful and smitten, but also gets older and weaker.

Peter O'Toole is obviously the star of the film but the story is not an exercise in showing his skills at seducing a pretty young thing. It's a story of getting old, being disparaged for indulging in previously normal activities, not being capable of doing things any more and finally dying.

Ian’s Rating: 3.5/5