Watching Peter O'Toole

Watching Peter O'Toole in his performance in Venus was like watching Ali with Parkinson's, you'd rather retain better memories of him. Watching his demonic red rimmed eyes, landslide sagging facial features and the wet weak lips in full closeup was not flattering nor particularly endearing. While you get a glimpse of the cocky, intelligent rogue of old, mostly he just looked pathetic as he panted and lusted after the young, Jessie, played by Jodie Whittaker.

O'Toole plays, Maurice, a charming and still popular actor that represents a not so pale image of himself, who meets this irascible young women and gets a death sentence from the doctor at the same time. Maurice is still working as an actor, but living with all of his popularity and accomplishment doesn't seem to be enough, he can't resist one more dive into the love pool, when he meets his friends niece, who was dumped on his doorstep by a mother who had enough of her rebellious uncontrollable women child. When we meet Jessie she is consuming all of the food and alcohol she can ingest and has this frantic look of a Holocaust camp survivor Maurice makes this headlong leap off the high-board in spite of the tremendous cultural difference between the two and his inability to perform anything like a normal sex act.

For Jessie's part, she is first appalled at his approach, than curious, playful and manipulative and finally in spite of all logic, fascinated and pulled into a relationship that somehow they both profit from.

If this film lacks anything it's a believable script. Despite a wonderful performance by all of the cast, my ability to get taken in by this story is clouded by the conflict of characters. I never could quite buy the idea that Maurice offered this waif enough charm to sidetrack her on her trip to self destruction. I did understand his fascination with her and his desire to have that one more time with someone young and vital. I just could never accept the fact that she was willing to do it.
I did get two things from this. I'm assuming there will be few roles in the future for O'Toole. Seeing but a flicker of the old Peter O'Toole is better than seeing a raging fire from some of the new young actors or should I say what passes for actors today. Witnessing the introduction of Jodie Whittaker was a find indeed. I think this young lady has offered us great promise.