Venus - 7

A funny, yet serious, film about getting old, mortality, and reflecting on being alive. Two old London actors and friends, Maurice (Peter O'Toole) and Ian (Leslie Phillips), have a relatively routine life and are feeling the effect of getting older as their bodies are falling apart. Ian gets talked into allowing his niece's daughter Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) to move in with him so she can experience the city. While Ian can't stand her- she is not refined and does not make him fish, Maurice is nice to her and takes a liking to her. Jessie's youth inspires Maurice and despite the impotence from prostate cancer (which saves the audience from any weird sex scenes), start to fall in love with her. This new friendship needs to be navigated with care as they both want and need different things and it has its problems. Maurice and Ian's relationship becomes strained, but ultimately it allows Maurice to reflect on his life, where he has been- he visits his wife often- and what being alive means. Jessie gains invaluable wisdom from Maurice as he is able to see in her both beauty and potential. This unlikely friendship helps both of them learn to know and be known by others and themselves. They come to realize that life, and death, are about the friendships that help us make us who we are.