"Death is more universal than life; everyone dies but not everyone lives." So said someone named A. Sachs. I have no idea who he is or in what context he said it, but there is a certain wisdom to it.

That wisdom is the core of Venus, a story of an old man and a young woman and the love that they manage to find together. As I skimmed through some reviews of the film, I noted that many centered on the performance of Peter O'Toole. It is certainly an admirable performance by an actor who has had many great performances. That performance is important to carrying the film, but so too is the undercurrent that speaks to the importance of living life.

Maurice is an aging actor who once played the classic roles. Now he mostly plays corpses on TV (which is good practice for what is ahead of him). His friend is taking in his niece's daughter Jessie while she looks for work. He figures she'll take care of him. Instead, they get on each other's nerves. Maurice, however, is somewhat taken by Jessie. Ever the ladies' man, Maurice nurtures their relationship, impressing her with his celebrity, giving her bits of culture. Because of prostate trouble, Maurice can't perform sexually, but he longs for any sort of physical contact, which Jessie doles out very stingily.

Love comes much more easily for Maurice than it does for Jessie. He still loves his ex-wife, although he abandoned her and their children long ago. He is a soul that finds love easy. But now, without the sexual ability, he must find a new way to express it.

Jessie on the other hand hasn't had much experience with love. She is resented by her mother. Her uncle can't stand her. She has been used, but never really loved. She's not sure what to make of Maurice. She wants to live, but really has no idea of how to go about it. Certainly she has no idea of how to love.

As I watched the film, I recognized the foibles of the old men. I'm not old enough yet to see myself in the film, but I certainly recognized many people in the characters. Maurice and his friends meet each day to go through the obits, share their various pills, and compare their lives past and present. Maurice still works occasionally, but for the most part these are men that are marking time as they contemplate their own obits in the paper.

When Jessie arrives, Maurice takes the opportunity for one final go at living. He knows the opportunity will not come his way again. For him, this is the final act of the drama or comedy that has been his life. In his choice to live these last days, he gives Jessie an entry into a life that can be her own.

I know it must not be easy to live when all you see before you is death. It is something that many older men and women face. It can also be hard to live when you have no idea what life can be. That is something people of all ages may face. The wisdom of Venus is that it shows that life can be found at any time. I wouldn't be surprised if in twenty years I have a much better appreciation of the wisdom in this film. But I hope that I can grasp enough of it now that I don't look back in twenty years wondering what I missed.