Maurice, a veteran stage actor (Peter O'Toole), is facing his final exit, both in career and life in "Venus." He's also about to undergo prostate surgery, which will almost certainly render him impotent. But when he meets Jessie (Jodie Whittaker), the 19-year-old grand-niece of a close friend, who has come to London to care for Maurice's fellow thespian Ian (Leslie Phillips), a new purpose fills his existence. Jessie may be sullen and lacking in sophistication, but Maurice sees her as an unwitting Venus, goddess of love and beauty. Call it goofy rapture or plain carnal attraction, his commitment to her is immediate and total.

If Jessie remained a mere object for Maurice's -- and the filmmakers' -- reverence, the movie would fail. But Jessie has gumption, thank you. She soon takes charge of the relationship, helping herself to its perks: the plays Maurice takes her to, the clothes he buys her and his 24-7 attention. Normally we'd balk at a movie about an 80-year-old man's infatuation with a teenage girl, but a geezer's lust is just the starting point for the film, an edgily charming meditation about the mysteries of attraction.

"Venus" is something of a philosophical un-romance, as the filmmakers celebrate a spiritual connection between two generationally mismatched characters. Director Roger Michell and writer Hanif Kureishi take a deeper, edifying interest in the moral ambiguities that arise between Maurice and Jessie. And thanks to our warm investment in both characters, we're more than willing to sign up for this existential ride. We allow this relationship -- and the movie -- to take us places we'd never usually go.

-- Desson Thomson (Jan. 19, 2007)

Contains profanity, nudity and sexual content.