Oscar Nominations

What can the value of an Oscar be when it is won based on money spent rather than merit (“Building the Buzz for Oscar,” Jan. 30)? The whole nomination process and the subsequent battle to win at all financial costs become laughable when one sees that who wins isn’t who is best but who best spends money. No wonder Javier Bardem, in arguably the best performance by an actor, in “Before Night Falls,” didn’t get a nomination from the Screen Actors Guild or that a small but excellent film like “Croupier,” which has received little attention, probably will go unnoticed by the Academy. Perhaps all this helps to explain why one quickly forgets who most of the winners from the previous year were.

LOU PEREZ

Studio City