Va Va Voom!

Here's Nicole Kidman forever shutting up my accusations of frigidity. Just WOW!

Style Sunday (SAG Edition)

Julianne Moore seems to do no wrong. Her choice of Chanel for the SAG seems to be doing her usual love of white and black (the Emmys last year were the rare exception) but adding a little something extra. The playfulness of the flowers and the sideswept hair might make it one of her best looks yet.

The lovely J.Law looks like a real grown woman in this sensational Dior gown. The color is marvelous and the classic hair and makeup are perfection. Can you believe she was recovering from pneumonia?

I love that Marion and J.Law seem to be doing the same Dior show, this maritime beauty recalls something Catherine Deneuve or Grace Kelly would've worn.

Any Jennifer Garner sighting is a good thing in my very humble opinion, even if nowadays it merely means she's supporting her husband. I don't know who she was wearing yet, but I believe she decided to dress as the Oscar her husband was snubbed for. God I adore this woman.

I am over Anne Hathaway this season, but I love the Audrey Hepburn feel of this Giambattista Valli. Her pixie cut and red lips are to die for.

Va-va-wow! Jessica Chastain is delicious in this fiery Alexander McQueen. Don't you think based on these looks, she and J.Law could be cast as 1940's noir vixens?

Tina Fey is the cutest and her sense of style has grown beautifully in the past few years. This Oscar de la Renta might not be far from what she usually does, but the simple belt adds a touch of class we'd never expect from Liz Lemon. Brava.

Nicole Kidman is a queen and this Vivienne Westwood gown makes her look absolutely magnificent.

Oh my dear January Jones, people will probably never understand that you are a magnificent creature sent to us from a distant future where fashion reigns. Your looks will be forever misunderstood and where wicked creatures saw you doing a Grace Jones parody in this stunning Prabal Gurung, time will reveal you were playing with structures and shapes in a way no one else would dare to. Soon, they too, will bow to you.

Who were your favorite ladies?

Sheet-y Saturday (Fave Posters of 2012)

In no particular order (both because I'm lazy and because I really like them all)

Portrayed the exuberance and joi de vivre the film teasd about having but ended up lacking. It's an image of pure joy captured in a single moment.

Merida gives her back to the world proving just how she's setting herself apart from all other Disney princesses. Brave move indeed.

After reading Pattinson and then Cronenber, you're like "wait, what?" but the matinee idol's look of quiet despair hooks you.

If ever a movie's visual idiosyncrasy was captured by its poster, it's this. 

You can not look at this and not giggle. If only the rest of the marketing campaign had been this Hitchcockian...

Saul Bass brilliance for a noble cause. 

It's like a flyer from an actual strip club. You just wanna do jello shots after looking at it.

Like the cover of a 70s exploitation movie or a bad paperback. 

Promises a mystery larger than what the movie actually contained. 

This redacted title with no movie star names, no "from Oscar winning director" and no release date might be the greatest movie poster of the year (maybe I did have a favorite). Simple, effective and haunting.

What were your faves this year?

I Haven't Been Up to Nothing...

I'm sure you've all been neglecting all the work I've been up to over at PopMatters, so here's a handy list:

• FYC: Ezra Miller for Best Supporting Actor
• Whatever Happened to the Funny Ladies?
• FYC: Jean-Louis Trintignant for Best Actor
• Can Laura Linney be Nominated for Hyde Park on Hudson?
• Reasons Why Anna Karenina Could've Been an Awards Magnet...Reasons Why it Wasn't

PLUS a review of Jane Campion's wonderful The Portrait of a Lady.

Go read and as always I love hearing your thoughts!

The Anti-Auteur?

Head over to The Film Experience where I wonder about the unfairness shown to poor Stephen Daldry.

Golden Globes Style.

I know y'all love Angelina and stuff but sometimes she looks extremely constipated. I'm loving that she's pulling the big guns for the Globes though (remember last year's emerald work of art?). This year she's back in Atelier Versace, wearing a luscious ivory dress with a curious red fold. It reminded me a bit of Cameron Diaz's napkin dress from the Oscars a few years ago but Jolie makes it seem almost vampiric, no?

Simple Chanel Couture dress + green earrings = perfection. (Remember what I was saying about redheads and green?)

For the 2006 Oscars, Charlize Theron wore one of the ugliest dresses I have ever seen: a mucus-colored contraption that had her carry a huge crazy bow around. Apparently she got in touch with the people at Dior and begged them to fix that previous sartorial sin. The result is this perfect pink confection. The bow is still there but the way she pulls it off this time screamed "movie star" like no one in the ceremony.

Jessica Biel's mind: I wanna so be like Florence Welch when I grow up! Especially cause sometimes I think I'm a machine and all.

People outside Jessica Biel's mind: are you trying on Victorian wedding dresses for your future nuptials?

Va-va-voom Viola! Seeing her sport this burgundy Emilio Pucci creation after looking like crap in The Help says: good acting!

Jessica Chastain had been flawless in all her red carpet appearances until the time came for her to actually attend big award shows. She was Pepto-Bismol embodied at the Critics Choice Awards and this time, even if she looks much better in Givenchy, there is something that still feels wrong. The dress is lovely in a Marilyn Monroe-meets-Joan Collins way but the hair makes her look like an extra from Nashville.

Oh you goddess of all that's avant garde and amazing...this Haider Ackermann pale blue dress-suit might be one your best looks EVER and you always look astonishing! 

Foregoing her usual Calvin klein fetish in favor of this demure J. Mendel worked wonders for Claire Danes. She certainly keeps it very simple and safe most of the time but this was slightly more playful, despite the simplicity of the black and white.

Am I alone in thinking that Michelle Williams totally looked like Grimace?

It's lovely to see Kate doing something other than dominatrix meets Metropolis looks, so we'll let this slightly boring Jenny Packham go by without any fanfare.

Natalie Portman seems to have been doing an audition for Marilyn Monroe, yet somehow this Lanvin does wonders for her. I loved her all throughout last season and bless her baby and all, but pregnant women rarely get to make the most out of couture, so it's lovely to have her finally showing off what she can do when she dresses up minus baby bump.

This custom made dual tone Lanvin makes Emma Stone look positively diabolical and extremely sexy. Who knows what the hell that eagle's doing below her boobs, those smoky eyes have long hypnotized you before you get to question her.

Marchesa dresses are showy enough without the crazy-ass Lea Michele turning them into sideshow attractions. it would've been lovely to see this in someone less craving for attention, perhaps it would've made more sense (the liquid skirt is still to die for though)

Even if Rooney Mara has made us all get used to her love of black and white, this is quite an unexpected turn by Nina Ricci. The dominatrix meets old time screen siren dress is absolutely astonishing. The top recalls January Jones' Versace look from last year's ceremony but Rooney makes it all her own by toning the sexuality down, in the same way that January turned it up. The simple makeup and the - gasp - severe ponytail, were magical.

Diane Lane in Reem Acra is how all movie stars should look.

Octavia Spencer was lovely in this pale lavender Tadashi Shoji design. The slight folds made her curvaceous body achieve new levels of sexiness. The clutch, ring and smile were the perfect compliments.

I've said it once and I'll say it again: Sofía Vergara should be Vera Wang's spokeswoman. 

Nicole Kidman has found a new ally in Versace. Their dresses make her absolutely ravishing and sexy. Some designers highlight her beauty and if this had been Chanel for example, she would've been more "ivory tower" than milky lusciousness. 

Madonna isn't only perfect for having Andrea Riseborough (in Vivienne Westwood) as her date, she also rocks for making this Reem Acra dress look so fierce. The shiny top screams Joan of Arc, while the bottom alludes to Madge's love of the adventurous. The look, complete with crucifix and fingerless gloves seem to pay tribute to her legendary career and as her Globe win showed us, she is ready to give us much more.

Who of these ladies impressed you the most?

Style Sunday.

The first thing I thought when I saw this dress was "the French are glad to die for love". It's Satine! Nicole Kidman looks better than she has in years in this lush Ellie Saab cherry dress. The length works wonders for her and the tiny flaps on her hips make her look curvier and sexy. Gotta love how the color brings out her hair's fiery richness too!

SJP rocks this Oscar de la Renta, which resembles the Alexander McQueen she wore last year to the CFDA awards. Best of all? The jacket she paired it with, looks like she just "threw something on" before attending a red carpet.

Finally Emma Watson blew me away in this truly magnificent Bottega Veneta. The color isn't only perfect for her pale skin tone, it actually makes her glow! Notice the structural beauty of the dress, on top its nude-ish corset, paired with her slick hair makes it seem like she's a bathing beauty and below the cascading pieces of fabric give her a truly regal appearance. I thought this was a Marchesa but regardless of the couturier, Emma looks magical!

What do you think of these ladies? Love Satine as much as I do? Did you go see Harry Potter this weekend?

Style Sunday.

The British were coming at an event held by BAFTA last night in Los Angeles. His royal highness Prince William, who also happens to be President of BAFTA (as if being a future king wasn't cool enough...) attended with his wife, Kate Middleton. Of course, she looked stunning but I keep wondering, where the hell does she find all these wholesome looking Alexander McQueen gowns?

This lavender creation is of course the epitome of classiness but would it kill her to try something a little bit more aggressive and McQueen-ish? Those odd little hats don't count.

Mary Louise-Parker brought her relaxed hippie-ness to the royal table in this cherry Dolce & Gabbana gown. Considering it lacks some oomph for a royal shindig, it's lovely to see her preserve her quirkiness.

Excuse me for saying this but royals should be bowing down to her royal majesty of actressing Nicole Kidman. I love how with the years she's adjusting herself to more sober, but still terrific, looks and how lovely her smile has become with each passing year. This Ellie Saab gown isn't a scene-stealer but Nicole must know that at a royal party, you are not supposed to overshadow the future queen. This well thought dress and demure style make her even more majestic.

Ooh-la-la, god only knows why Blake Lively gets invited to all these amazing red carpets, or perhaps he does, and the reason is merely because she always looks fantastic. This flowy Marchesa gown goes against everything Blake has us used to. Oh no, no boobs or legs! But with the see through loveliness of the fabric and the very Marchesa embroidery she looks like a true goddess. Her simple, unkempt chignon completed a look that reminded me of a Renaissance nymph.

No words describe how magnificent this is and I won't even try.

So, there you go...

Maria Bello was all kinds of lovely in this metallic Donna Karan gown. Gotta love how her tan doesn't make the already shiny fabric look vulgar.

J. Lo probably didn't get the memo that this was a BAFTA event with Prince William and not the Grammys with will.i.am, so she showed up like she always does, flaunting her best assets.

This Emilio Pucci gown will make most women alive envy Lopez's stunning curves but is this the best she could do when she was going to be near the future Queen of England?

How do you even bow before her in this without ripping the fabric and showing Kate your luscious ass?

The Brits weren't the only place for fab fashion this week though...

Anne Hathaway was the fairy tale princess at this year's White Fairy Tale Love Ball, where she opted for a gorgeous Valentino Couture dress. The little details in this dress are best appreciated when you see it in movement, Annie looked like she was hovering while distilling pixie dust. Gotta love her bold red lipstick and romantic hairstyle. Only she can pull off sexy risque and then melt our hearts with this kind of look.

Armani Privé + Cate Blanchett = fashiongasm.

How the hell did she avoid looking like she was part of the red carpet?

This asymmetrical Chanel gown makes the lovely Diane Kruger look like she won best dressed at the 1986 Academy Awards. Make of this what you wish.

Phew, lots of looks this week huh? Can you pick a fave?