peter o'toole is the big drawcard with this british film
he plays maurice an ageing actor of some repute and still well respected
gets bit parts on stage and in film to supplement his incomebut more than likely to keep the ego in check and fed
his best friend ian also a retired actor who takes in his unknown great niece to look after him
jessie is presented as a typical bad-mouthed, badly-dressed, under-educated flighty girl
but for some reason maurice takes a shine to her and she to him
so in no time at all we see her accompanying him to the theatre, art galleries and on city walks
things develop uncomfortably when she allows him to touch, kiss and smell her
words and feelings are expressed with no hint of embarrassment or offence
i have a feeling we are supposed to see this as charming, decent, affectionate
but to me it verged on paedophilia and so i was squirming in my seat
which may well have been the desired effect from the director
things were taken up (down) a level with some nudity
firstly in the form of a art class at which jessie poses nude
as in venus therefore the film's title
and later as an attempt by jessie to impress her (much) elder suitor
i sat there thinking am i just being prudish or responding as required
my conclusion was that in fact the director was wanting to create a situation
whereby the behaviour of the characters was quite possible and acceptable
but possibly because of flat acting or lack of character development
the emotional connection did not seem to exist
and therefore their actions to me seemed at the least unlikely
vanessa redgrave has a part as an ex-wife of maurice
so we presumably are meant to fawn at the sight of these 2 past greats
reminiscing about the good old days and possibly about their own off-screen lives
for that seems to be another major theme of the film
an ode to the main actors lives, careers, skills, stardom
i was almost taken in by that until maurice is contronted by jessie's obnoxious boyfriend
and is accused in no uncertain terms of being a dirty, dirty old man (a valid point)
so methinks maurice will floor this chap with some incisive wit and candour
but no he resorts to violence and punches him severely in the breadmaker
which is about where i gave up on the film and i couldn't wait for it to end
the death in the arms of true love was where it should have stopped
but a couple of extra scenes just seemed pointless and a waste of time
hope peter o'toole isn't planning on this film being his acting swansong
bloody awful actually old chap
yup me the prude
jessie is presented as a typical bad-mouthed, badly-dressed, under-educated flighty girl
but for some reason maurice takes a shine to her and she to him
so in no time at all we see her accompanying him to the theatre, art galleries and on city walks
things develop uncomfortably when she allows him to touch, kiss and smell her
words and feelings are expressed with no hint of embarrassment or offence
i have a feeling we are supposed to see this as charming, decent, affectionate
but to me it verged on paedophilia and so i was squirming in my seat
which may well have been the desired effect from the director
things were taken up (down) a level with some nudity
firstly in the form of a art class at which jessie poses nude
as in venus therefore the film's title
and later as an attempt by jessie to impress her (much) elder suitor
i sat there thinking am i just being prudish or responding as required
my conclusion was that in fact the director was wanting to create a situation
whereby the behaviour of the characters was quite possible and acceptable
but possibly because of flat acting or lack of character development
the emotional connection did not seem to exist
and therefore their actions to me seemed at the least unlikely
vanessa redgrave has a part as an ex-wife of maurice
so we presumably are meant to fawn at the sight of these 2 past greats
reminiscing about the good old days and possibly about their own off-screen lives
for that seems to be another major theme of the film
an ode to the main actors lives, careers, skills, stardom
i was almost taken in by that until maurice is contronted by jessie's obnoxious boyfriend
and is accused in no uncertain terms of being a dirty, dirty old man (a valid point)
so methinks maurice will floor this chap with some incisive wit and candour
but no he resorts to violence and punches him severely in the breadmaker
which is about where i gave up on the film and i couldn't wait for it to end
the death in the arms of true love was where it should have stopped
but a couple of extra scenes just seemed pointless and a waste of time
hope peter o'toole isn't planning on this film being his acting swansong
bloody awful actually old chap
yup me the prude
