Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

I have watched “Lawrence of Arabia” many times, but I have never *seen* it in 70 mm as it’s meant to be adored. That said, my recent TV viewing left me awed again. This epic turned razor sharp history lesson is indeed one of the greatest films ever made. It’s cinematography of endless deserts and massive (pre-CGI) battles involving men on horseback charging trains, and Peter O’Toole as Lawrence standing before the sun remains unmatched. O’Toole is T.E. Lawrence, the Brit cartographer who becomes a war leader, leading hundreds of Arabs (our naïve English term put upon hundreds of tribes, unasked) against the Turkish Empire during World War I. That’s a slice of the story. When director David Lean depicts mad Lawrence leading “his” army into Damascus, only to lose the city to chaos, it plays out as foreshadowing of America in Iraq. Lean goes brilliant as we watch Lawrence “grow” from a speck on the horizon to filling the screen, blotting the desert out in paranoid close-ups. Draw your own conclusions on who this man might be now. I love this film, historical in every way. I hope to see this in a theater one day. A+

Venus (2006)

Is there a cooler actor than Peter O'Toole? Even at 84, and looking a spry 64, O'Toole literally sparkles with his unbelievably blue eyes and killer charisma in "Venus," a quite funny British comedy-drama about dying with grace while hungering for life.

O'Toole is Maurice, a famed actor of stage and screen, living out his last days with his best friend and fellow actor Ian (Leslie Phillips, also excellent) until the latter's great niece (Jodie Whittaker) arrives. The girl may be daft and clueless (she announces her intention to become a famous London-based model ... as she pigs out on junk food and noodles), but she's beautiful and full of spirit. She kick starts dying Maurice's passion for life.

There are quite a few out-there scenes here that flirt with territory already used in "The Piano," but the film's humor and touchy moments far outweigh any negatives. Credit here goes to screenwriter Hanif Kureishi. And O'Toole. Wow. The former "Laurence of Arabia" is the absolute zenith of film stars. B+