This will not be so much a review of the movie as it will be thoughts on performance. Peter O'Toole has never ever won a competitive Oscar. Sure he won an honorary one, but that is usually what the Academy give to someone they expect to die soon, or never make anything award worthy again. In Peter O'Toole's case it was probably a combination of the two and how he has proved the latter wrong.
When an actor becomes great, is when they realise that vanity will always prevent them inhabiting the character they play. The boundary between actor and role is blurred so much, that you forget you are watching a performance. In Venus there is no showy scene. He doesn’t shout, cry, die painfully or have a breakdown. He just is. In an industry where awards are given for attention grabbing acting, it is nice to see so many of the older generation of actors, this year, proving that subtlety can resonate so much stronger. O’Toole is greatly supported by Leslie Phillips and Vanessa Redgrave, two other veteran actors showing the youngsters how it is done. The movie is flawed, but the performances are sublime.
This will not be so much a review of the movie as it will be thoughts on performance. Peter O'Toole has never ever won a competitive Oscar. Sure he won an honorary one, but that is usually what the Academy give to someone they expect to die soon, or never make anything award worthy again. In Peter O'Toole's case it was probably a combination of the two and how he has proved the latter wrong. 
When an actor becomes great, is when they realise that vanity will always prevent them inhabiting the character they play. The boundary between actor and role is blurred so much, that you forget you are watching a performance. In Venus there is no showy scene. He doesn’t shout, cry, die painfully or have a breakdown. He just is. In an industry where awards are given for attention grabbing acting, it is nice to see so many of the older generation of actors, this year, proving that subtlety can resonate so much stronger. O’Toole is greatly supported by Leslie Phillips and Vanessa Redgrave, two other veteran actors showing the youngsters how it is done. The movie is flawed, but the performances are sublime.
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