  oscar blathering The 2003 Oscar nominations were announced earlier this week, and apart from a few of the usual gripes, I'm pretty happy with the variety of big names and little indies that could. All in all, a pretty eclectic bunch of films. Roger Ebert wrote a great little urlLink article that, in many ways, sums up my feelings about this year's nominees. Having said that, here's a few of my complaints: Paul Giamatti was not nominated for best actor in "American Splendor. " Huh? I don't get it. Critics were practically guaranteeing him a nomination when the film was released last fall. And with good reason: he was damn good. A friend of mine pointed out that Giamatti is still known primarily as a character actor, and a best actor nomination is a bit too much of a leap at this point.
But as long as he keeps acting this good in films of this quality, he should have no problems being recognized by the academy sometime in the future ("American Splendor," by the way, comes out on DVD next Tuesday. I highly recommend you rent it as soon as possible). Audrey Tautou was another glaring omission, as far as I'm concerned. Her performance as a troubled illegal immigrant in London was one of the best things about the fantastic (but little-seen) "Dirty Pretty Things.
" Of course, I don't know a whole lot of other people who saw this movie, which makes commiserating about it equally frustrating. Stephen Frears' gritty film about black market organ donation in the sleazy back streets of London was one of this year's hidden gems. Lots of critical acclaim, but no nominations, except for a well-deserved one for original screenplay.
I've singled out Tautou because she not only managed to avoid being stereotyped as a cute, dimply French waitress (as she played in "Amelie"), but she also pulled off the unique task of being French and speaking English with a Turkish accent. Let's see some of you try that. Val Kilmer in "Wonderland. " Once again, this is a movie nobody (but me) saw. And actually, the critics weren't particularly kind to it. One thing that did stand out (even with the critics) was Kilmer's sublime performance as strung-out porn star John Holmes in this true story of a drug deal that turns into a bloodbath in the Hollywood hills. As he continues to step away from mainstream roles, Kilmer is proving time and time again that he's a force to be reckoned with. Peter Sarsgaard in "Shattered Glass. " There was some Oscar buzz about this role, but nothing came of it. Pity. Sarsgaard played the boss of Stephen Glass in this true story about a reporter who fabricates stories while writing for the New Republic. His performance was perfectly understated, at first trusting and standing by his young protege and slowly losing faith in the reporter as evidence piles up against him. It would have been nice to see recognition for this kind of role when most Oscar nominations seem reserved for hysterical, over-the-top scenery chewing.
Albert Finney in "Big Fish. " Finney's been nominated more times than I care to look up, but has never taken home the Oscar. He's one of today's most versatile elder statesmen. He can play an eccentric Belgian sleuth, a tough-as-nails mobster, or a self-defeating alcoholic ("Murder on the Orient Express," "Miller's Crossing," "Under the Volcano," respectively) but can't seem to take home the ultimate statue. His performance as the dying storyteller in Tim Burton's beautiful fantasy epic was, in my opinion, one of his finest in a long line of excellent roles. My predictions? I'm working on it. When I know, you'll know. 
