By Lars Trodson
Nick Nolte has been nominated for an Oscar three times. Paul Newman, God bless him, was nominated nine times. One may have been the bigger movie star, but who was the better actor? Nolte was most recently nominated for "Warrior,"which I don't know anything about, so whether he deserved his nomination or not, I can't say.
His Oscar nods came for "The Prince Of Tides" (1991 — and meh), "Affliction" (1997 —
great) and the aforementioned "Warrior" (for Best Supporting Actor, 2011 — ?).
But here's five films he
should have been nominated for, and at least one for which he should have taken home the prize.
"New York Stories" — 1989 — "Life Lessons" segment directed by Martin Scorsese. It's extremely hard for actors to do certain things on film, and one of them is to come across as a technically adept painter. In this one, Nolte plays an artist, tagged as a genius, named Lionel Dobie. He moves around the canvas like a true painter, and he's also, of course, utterly convincing as a tortured genius.
"Q & A" —1990, directed by Sidney Lumet. Notle plays a psychotic, sexually repressed NYC cop in this underrated, intriguing thriller. Very strange role for Nolte, who is one of the most chameleon-like actors ever. His physique seems to change with certain roles, and in this one he's thick, with slicked-back black hair.
"The Thin Red Line" — 1998, directed by Terrence Malick. This is the one Nolte should have bagged the big prize for (Best Supporting Actor). Nolte plays Lt. Col. Gordon Tall, and if there ever was a picture of frustrated ambition this is it — look at the image at the top of the story. In the scene where he's trying to convince his company commander, Capt. Staros (Elias Koteas) to charge up the hill (the film takes place on Gaudalcanal), and his order is refused, Nolte rubs his head and his voice is almost strangled with emotion. It's a beautifully sustained performance, and one that was improbably, sadly overlooked by members of the Academy.
"The Good Thief" — 2003, Neil Jordan. Nolte takes the baroque lines of this compelling little movie and gives them a rhythm all his own. All of a sudden he's not someone from Oklahoma (Nolte was born there), but a hybrid European. He plays a drug-addicted thief, Bob Montagnet, who's got some troubles. This is more of a tone poem than anything
else, and Nolte is its warm heart.
"Paris, Je' taime" — 2006, segment "Parc Monceau" directed by Alfonso Cuaron. A small gem. Nolte gives a humane, plaintive performance in a short film that has a lovely little twist.
