Peter O Toole

British legend Peter O'Toole, 74, was nominated last week for an Oscar for best actor for his endearing performance in "Venus," as an aging thespian who finds himself smitten with the free-spirited grandniece of his good friend. Long before "Venus," O'Toole gave one of his most accomplished performances, for which he received his second Oscar nomination, in the 1964 drama "Becket." Because of legal reasons and restoration concerns, "Becket" has been out of the public eye for years. Until now.

"Babel" Pro: Voters may finally discover artsy director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, thanks to an A-list cast and a timely message about irrational hysteria over terrorism. Con: Older academy members may balk at "Babel's" violence and avant-garde interweaving of four globe-scattered stories. "Blood Diamond" Pro: Slick entertainment with political message. DiCaprio really sparkles. Con: Looks like an action film, so may not be taken seriously.

IT'S hard not to stare at Peter O'Toole's face, hunting for vestiges of one of the most beautiful male visages to grace the silver screen. Yet, the clear blue eyes that once peered out from under a white kaffiyeh have gone rheumy. The cheeks sag. The skin no longer gleams. There are flashes of who he used to be: A certain tilt of the face and the amazing bone structure suddenly emerges from the haze of age.

Actor Peter O'Toole, who racked up seven Academy Award nominations between 1962 and 1982 but came away empty-handed every time, is finally going to get an Oscar. O'Toole, 70, will receive an honorary award at the Oscar ceremony on March 23, saluting him for what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences describes as "remarkable talents [that] have provided cinema history with some of its most memorable characters."