Venus

Venus is a 2006 British comedy-drama film directed by Roger Michell and produced by Kevin Loader, from a screenplay by Hanif Kureishi. The film stars Peter O'Toole, Leslie Phillips, Jodie Whittaker, Richard Griffiths and Vanessa Redgrave. Venus had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on 2 September 2006, followed by a limited theatrical release in the United States on 21 December 2006 and a wide release in the United Kingdom on 26 January 2007. O'Toole's performance in the film was met with critical acclaim, earning him his eighth and final Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. 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.