.jpg){kind=link}
Venus is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell, written by Hanif Kureishi, and starring Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, Jodie Whittaker, Richard Griffiths, and Vanessa Redgrave.
The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, and was put on limited release in the United States on 21 December 2006.
Plot[]
The plot concerns Maurice Russell, an elderly actor who finds himself increasingly attracted to his friend Ian's grand-niece Jessie, while simultaneously finding himself in deteriorating health owing to prostate cancer. Maurice's friend describes the grand-niece as a troublemaker and a nuisance, but Maurice discovers that Jessie warms to him when he starts interacting with her. He takes her to the National Gallery in London to view his favourite painting, the Rokeby Venus, by the Spanish artist Diego Velázquez.
Jessie had expressed interest in modelling (Maurice initially mishears this as "yodelling"), and Maurice arranges for Jessie to model nude for an art class. As a result of Jessie posing for the art class, and inspired by his favourite painting, Maurice decides to give Jessie the nickname "Venus". Maurice and Jessie develop a passive/aggressive relationship over the course of the film. Maurice is forward in terms of his attraction towards Jessie, while Jessie occasionally indulges his whims to a limited extent, such as touching her hand and smelling her neck, but also retracts the indulgences when she feels that he has gone too far. The plot of the film revolves around the evolving friendship or relationship between the two characters. For Maurice, this appears to be the last attempt at something approaching a love life, as his prostate operation has left him impotent. For Jessie, it is less clear what she sees in Maurice. During the course of the film, we see her do everything from exploiting him (trying to get him to buy her presents, trying to use his flat to have sex with a boy), taking care of him, flirting with him, and rejecting him sexually to engaging with him as a friend. During the course of the film, we learn that she has been rejected by her mother and great-uncle for her promiscuous lifestyle; it is implied that she is drawn to Maurice because he does not judge her as harshly as her family members have.
The plot comes to a head when Jessie becomes involved with a boy. The two young lovers persuade Maurice to take a walk so that they can have sex. Maurice initially obliges, but returns to kick them out of his flat. A scuffle ensues, and as Maurice raises his walking stick to hit the boy, Jessie grabs it to disarm him, and he falls over a footstool, injuring himself. Jessie leaves with the boy, but she later returns to check on Maurice. When the paramedics arrive, Maurice claims he cannot remember who attacked him, much to Jessie's surprise. Then Maurice calls for "Venus" to take care of him. Jessie, remorseful, agrees to look after Maurice. Some time later, after Maurice has at least partly recovered, he takes Jessie to the seaside at Whitstable in Kent. As they sit down by the water, Maurice says to Jessie, "Now, we can really talk", and dies, leaning on her. At the memorial services, Jessie meets Maurice's ex-wife Valerie, who could not find satisfaction in Maurice's love life either. The last scene shows Jessie and others posing as models for the Venus character.
Cast[]
- Peter O'Toole as Maurice Russell
- Leslie Phillips as Ian
- Jodie Whittaker as Jessie
- Bronson Webb as Jessie's Boyfriend
- Richard Griffiths as Donald
- Vanessa Redgrave as Valerie
- Cathryn Bradshaw as Jillian
- Harvey Virdi as Art School Teacher
- Ashley Madekwe as Royal Court Actress
- Kellie Shirley as Royal Court Actress
- Ony Uhiara as Royal Court Actress
- Andrea Riseborough as Period Film Lover
- Tom Mison as Period Film Lover
- Christine Bottomley as Hospital Nurse
- Lolita Chakrabarti as Health Centre Nurse
- Sam Spruell as Hospital Director