Here's what I loved: the mock cruelty of the young girl, the veneer of passion from the old man. The chemistry they create is tangable. I don't think this is a great movie. I do think it is an excellent cap to a distinguished career for Peter O'Toole. If he wins a best actor oscar for it, I might get a little weepy. So far, I think he deserves it, though I haven't seen all the performances yet. This role was tailor made for him.
It isn't a garish or flaunting performance. Everything comes through subtly. There are annoying moments. The quoted poems were almost all flat for me. It may have been intentional on O'Toole's part to deflate the once great actor. It was hard to indulge the young girl's awe if I did not feel it myself.
Otherwise, I loved the interplay between the old men, old men who are so enriched by experience and yet not wise enough to find happiness. Old men don't get enough screen time in my book. I am fascinated by them. The performances are completely convincing.