Venus
(2006/DVD-Video)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C+ Film: C+
After
getting an honorary Academy Award for his amazing body of acting work, the
entire industry was surprised when Peter O’Toole was nominated yet again for
his work in Roger Mitchell’s drama/comedy Venus. O’Toole plays aging actor Maurice, who is in
his final years, still has a few friends left, is getting by and suddenly
becomes enamored by the grandniece of his best friend.
In what
could have degenerated into an obvious Pygmalion
rehash or Oscar-begging contest for O’Toole instead becomes an honest enough
self-reflection of one’s twilight that the combination of O’Toole’s amazing
performance and a well-paced screenplay by Hanif Kureshi makes the film worth
seeing. It does not get far beyond that
or other such films we have seen before, but it still works.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is softer throughout than expected, but
Director of Photography Haris Zambarloukis does a nice job of shooting the film
with intimate and smart choices that enhance the narrative situations. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has hardly any
surrounds (save music here and there) and is front heavy with the kind of
dialogue emphasis you’d expect from such a film. The songs by the talented Corrine Bailey Rae
are a plus. Extras include deleted
scenes, a making of featurette and feature length audio commentary by Mitchell
& producer Kevin Loader.
- Nicholas Sheffo
