I've long held an opinion that non-American actors are the best. There have been all-time greats like Lawrence Olivier (England), current established vets such as: Christopher Plummer (Canada), Tom Wilkinson (England), Maggie Smith (England), bankable stars like Charlize Theron (Australia), Christian Bale (England), and Hugh Jackman (Australia), and a slew of young actors such as : Michael Sheen (England), Ryan Gosling (Canada), Clive Owen (England), not to mention your (annually dominant) Oscar players like Judie Dench, Hellen Mirren, and Kate Winslet. Put simply, the number of outstanding acting talent coming from overseas is staggering.
Venus is the story of an actor well into his senior years who becomes infatuated with the young niece of his best friend. The great Peter O'Toole plays Maurice, who even in his elder years is suave with the ladies. Jodie Whittaker plays Jessie, the object of Maurice's affections. Both shine in their parts. In particular, O'Toole is brilliant. It's a performance in which, as a viewer, every choice feels perfect. Not a single acting choice he makes feels out of place. O'Toole works his entire arsenal here. Whittaker does a splendid job, managing to take a character who appears very unlikeable throughout most the film into a sympathetic character.
Acting is one of the defining traits of any quality film. Bad acting can sink a great script. Great acting to lift even the most cruddy scripts. It just so happens that the Brits do it best. Why? It's hard to pinpoint but comes down to teaching. They are simply taught how to perform. And they do some brilliantly.
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