She began the 2000s with a leading role in "Don't Say a Word" (2001) alongside Michael Douglas; the TV adaptation of the novel "The Devil's Arithmetic" (2001); "8 Mile" (2002), for which she received critical acclaim; and "Uptown Girls" (2003). In 2003, she starred in the romantic comedies "Just Married" and "Little Black Book" (2004) and the critically acclaimed "Sin City" (2005). Film critic Roger Ebert frequently acclaimed Murphy's acting talent and comedic timing, giving good reviews to several of her films and comparing her to Lucille Ball: As for Brittany Murphy, for me, it goes back to the 2003 Independent Spirit Awards Murphy was assigned to present one of the awards. Her task was to read the names of the five nominees, open an envelope, and reveal the name of the winner. This she turned into an opportunity for screwball improvisational comedy, by pretending she could not follow this sequence, not even after the audience shouted instructions and the stage manager came to whisper in her ear not once but twice. There were those in the audience who were dumbfounded by her stupidity. I was dumbfounded by her brilliance.