Venus: Lecher or Loving Care?

This isn't the usual post for me, but I think it belongs here. Last night my husband and I saw the film Venus with Peter O'Toole as the old has-been actor who meets up with a young, but obviously troubled and self-involved, street-wise beauty. We hope she's at least 18, but maybe not. She's capable of slugging him if he tries to kiss her shoulders more than the allotted three times she's given permission for, even though he's fresh out of prostate surgery.

As the story progresses, the O'Toole character changes from a philanderer (he had left his wife and 3 young kids years ago for lovely younger women and is now alone and lonely) to a sensitive care-taking guy, albeit one with lust still in his heart, if not his body. The girl changes with his interest into one who can care for him sweetly and selflessly in his dying moments.

What do I get from this? It's the opposite of the ageism we usually see in movies. No sex, but, yes, there's sensuality. And the old man is called a "dirty old man" but the louder message is that people can care about one another and fulfill each others' needs despite age stereotypes. People do feel sexual even into old, old age, but don't have to be exploitative. like the Lolita story. A lovely film.