Film: Dir. Roger Michell - Venus

Dir. Roger Michell
Venus
[Drama / Comedy]






The Plot: charming English gent Ian (Leslie Phillips) is exasperated when his boisterous niece Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) comes to live with him. Another charming English gent called Morris (Peter O'Toole) meets her, the two hit it off and hilarity/heartbreak ensues...

Chances are that, if you are either (i) between the ages of forty and sixty-five, (ii) charmingly snobbish, or (iii) blissfully ignorant, you will absolutely love Venus. You see, it portrays the working class youth of Britain in a perfectly accurate light. That's right, folks, everyone under the age of twenty-five is a rude, promiscuous, tracksuit-wearing, Pot Noodle-eating booze hound. Oh, praise be to writer Hanef Kureishi for such cutting social commentary.

Back in the real world, it's pretty obvious from the beginning of Venus that the film's perception of today's youth is almost vomit-inducing in its ineptitude. You know how it goes: drinking alcopops, shopping in TopShop and listening to Kylie Minogue (!), Jessie initially has no time for higher pleasures like Shakespeare but eventually begins to bond with the quirky and lovable old guy until she realises he's far too good for her because he's from the educated classes and she's just a pauper and that would be very wrong indeed (now breathe). Excuse me for asking, but, isn't this the twenty-first century?

Sure, there's the odd nice touch and a handful of moments that will make you smile, but the fact that the majority of Venus even got past the conception stage is extremely worrying for the future of British cinema. I say the majority because for about a third of Venus Jessie is nowhere to be seen and what we get instead, via some fantastic chemistry between Peter O'Toole, Richard Griffiths and Leslie Phillips, is some great dialogue exploring the nuances of old age. At regular intervals throughout the film, the trio meet in their local greasy spoon to discuss the week's events with great enthusiasm and caustic wit. Some of the scenes are so electric it makes it slightly easier to stomach lining the pockets of a bigot.

Special mention must also go to a scene which almost manages to completely destroy Peter O'Toole's reputation as one of the finest acting talents Britain has ever produced. Rejected by Jessie and wandering the streets of London, his character Morris happens upon a deserted theatre. Shambling awkwardly to centre stage he surveys the scene, attempting to recall memories of his lost youth. In the most serious tone he can manage, he whispers to himself, “To be...or not to be.” I assure you it is almost worth the entry fee alone.

Venus, then – good for exposing the exploitable hidden prejudices plaguing middle England, bad for being a good film. 33