It's a bit of a shock when peter O'Toole enters a room. He's unsteady on his feet—he's 74—and his piercing blue eyes are rheumy with age. You get the feeling that a strong wind might knock him down. But his shirt collar is at a jaunty angle, he's sporting a lovely ascot and when he opens his mouth to talk, you melt. The voice is still strong and sonorous. The edifice may be crumbling a bit but it's still standing. O'Toole is back in an all-too-familiar role: best-actor nominee. In "Venus," he breaks your heart as a once handsome thespian who develops a complicated relationship with a young woman. It's O'Toole's eighth Oscar nomination—he hasn't won one yet—and if he doesn't win, well, let's hope he never gives up trying.
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