I’ve been thinking about last night’s Golden Globes show and my first impression remains: Ricky Gervais did a crack job hosting the proceedings and I’d support hiring him for any Hollywood award show because he brings the right spirit to it in that he refuses to take the industry seriously and kowtow to kissing celebrity butt. The Brits call it “taking the p–s” out of something; the Hollywood Foreign Press Association was not amused. The head of the HFPA, Philip Berk, told the Hollywood Reporter that he thought many of the things Gervais said “crossed the line.” They hired him and they got exactly what they paid for; Gervais never promised to hold back, in fact, he was very open about saying that he planned to take the jokes further than he did last year. And that he did with caustic jokes about homosexuality and closeted Scientologists, referring to Bruce Willis as “Ashton Kutcher’s father,” dissing Tim Allen and reminding audiences that they probably knew Robert Downey Jr. best from his mugshots and the L.A. County Jail. Not unexpectedly, Downey Jr took the ribbing best and delivered his own uniquely weird and not so vaguely dirty intro to the female film actress nominees. After working in the industry for many years, I think it’s good and even healthy for humor that puts it in perspective. I respect the artistic aspect of the industry but let’s remember it’s not a cure for cancer. So I’m all for cheeky, rougher humor like Gervais’ that points out things we’re all thinking about but don’t say out loud. Great comedians don’t play it safe and Gervais’ performance last night is a superb example of refusing to toe the line in order to caress Hollywood egos.
Jane Lynch’s speech was also wonderful and very much in the spirit of Sue Sylvester and I would think Ian Brennan scripted it for her. Not that Lynch doesn’t have a knack for wryly smart humor in her own right; her work in Christopher Guest’s semi-improv films are enough to prove that.
I have no idea who scripted Robert DeNiro’s speech but I’m sure he didn’t write that himself. Someone on Twitter suggested Ben Stiller might have helped DeNiro script it and I’m wondering if that’s true. It was odd to hear DeNiro trying to be funny and sarcastic when he’s usually more reserved with his words. I didn’t mind it even though some of the humor fell flat.
Did you think Gervais went too far or do you think Hollywood should maintain its thick skin and be able to take some ribbing? Feel free to reply and share your reaction to the telecast (if you watched).
OK, OK, let’s get to the fashion rundown:
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN STYLING:
Black is the new black:
Jayma Mays – looking Old Hollywood Glamour Girl in a black Alberta Ferretti gown with mesh netting, plunging neckline, very va-va-voom
Eva Longoria – a beautifully cut Zac Posen gown that was fitted perfectly to her, even with the large train of the gown. I love the neckline on the gown.
Annette Bening – in a very basic black Tom Ford gown. I wish she’d chosen a different hairdo.
Jennifer Lawrence – in a grey and black Louis Vuitton gown – I loved the textured look of the gown and she really stood out on the red carpet.
Halle Berry – in vintage Nina Ricci – I loved the bustier top but the bottom of the frock confused me. She always looks terrific this dress didn’t get near some of her past fashion triumphs – I’m thinking of the Elie Saab gowns she’s worn in the past.
Piper Perabo – supremely elegant in Oscar de la Renta, this gown was a knockout on the red carpet and Perabo’s perfect hair and makeup, right down to the ponytail and red lipstick, perfected the look. One of the best-dressed of the night.
Jane Lynch – in Ali Rahimi – not the prettiest gown she’s chosen thus far but very nice.
Julianne Hough – in a black column dress by Marchesa with a huge embroidered collar. The dress was beautiful but she didn’t walk well in it which made me wonder if it was fitted too tightly.
Jessalyn Gilsig – in David Meister. Not a favorite as I thought it made her look a bit older but still a nice look.
The green gowns:
Mila Kunis – in a vibrant green goddess gown by Vera Wang. The one-shoulder look and the pleating complimented Kunis’ body. Not crazy about the hairdo.
Elisabeth Moss – in a dark green Donna Karan strapless gown – the pleating work, the dress was fitted beautifully and this choice went a long way toward Moss’ red carpet rehabilitation. She looked wonderful.
Angelina Jolie – in a glittering green long-sleeve gown by Atelier Versace
Catherine Zeta-Jones – in Monique Lhullier – this looked like a mermaid gown, the darker shade of green was perfect on CZJ, I didn’t realize how big the bottom of the gown was until I saw a photo. That was a lotta dress.
Think pink:
Claire Danes in a shocking pink Calvin Klein Collection gown – elegant simplicity that made you look at her.
Megan Fox – in Armani Prive, pale pink with jewel accents. She has one of the best bods in Hollywood and this dress hugged her beautifully, also loved the open back. She can’t act her way out of a paper bag but as long as she maintains her looks, she’ll get work.
Julianna Margulies – her pink and black gown was YSL Haute Couture. Loved her simple makeup and hair. My only thought was that she could’ve worn a necklace.
And the other colors of the rainbow:
Emma Stone – in a light peach Calvin Klein Collection gown, deceptively simple but the clean, polished look of the gown and her blonde hair worked.
Michelle Williams – in a light, airy Valentino gown accented with flowers. Loved the short, gamine hair and the soft, flowy gown. One of my favorites of the night.
Olivia Wilde – in a dreamy chocolately Marchesa ballgown with a huge skirt and jeweled accents. Also outstanding: her gold Louboutin platform heels. A total princess look and Wilde made it work. She wears high fashion extraordinarily well and this was a red carpet highlight.
January Jones – traffic-stopping in a revealing, supersexy red gown by Atelier Versace. Cheers to her for having the bod to make the dress sing. There are not a lot of actresses who are hot enough and brave enough to wear a gown like this and make it work.
Sofia Vergara – in a red and black gown by Vera Wang, as usual, Vergara smartly chose a gown that accented her considerable assets: the rack and the butt. She’s an old school siren and for contemporary Hollywood, that’s a very good thing.
Hailee Steinfeld – in a white gown by Prabal Gurung. Perfect, age-appropriate look for the young actress, accented by simple makeup and the hair pulled back from her face. Well-done!!
Carrie Underwood – in Badgley Mischka Couture – this champagne, beaded strapless gown was drop dead gorgeous. She looked like a movie star: glowing, feminine, perfectly put together. A textbook lesson in how to do red carpet.
Sarah Hyland – in Max Azria Atelier – this strapless gown was a dark beige (taupe?) that worked well with her skin and hair. Loved the necklace. I don’t know who styles her but Hyland is shaping up to be a red carpet MVP.
NICELY DONE
Kaley Cuoco – very soft, feminine in a light peach gown by Katherine Kidd. Some people didn’t like the bottom of the gown with the tiers but I didn’t mind it.
Dianna Agron – in a supersimple strapless J. Mendel gown. She looked like the Homecoming Queen in a good way: pretty, All-American, unspoiled.
Jane Krakowski – pregnant and pretty in Badgley Mischka, the soft blue grey shade was beautiful with her skin and eyes.
Julie Bowen – in a taupey Tadashi Shoji gown with pleats and ruffles. This looked like a lot of dress on Bowen’s petite frame. It was pretty but I wish she’d chosen either pleats OR ruffles, not both.
Nicole Kidman – pretty but boring in a one-shoulder creamy, almost white Prada gown. Where is the adventurous fashion Kidman used to choose? This was so bland.
Kyra Sedgwick – in a mustard gown by Emilio Pucci. I love when actresses choose a vivid color and this shade worked nicely on her. The overall effect was soft and flowing.
Tilda Swinton – looking pale and otherworldly pretty in Jil Sander, white shirt and pale yellow satin skirt but I have to say, I thought it was nifty to see a dress that looks like separates.
Kelly McDonald – in taupe/ecru J. Mendel gown. Simple but pretty.
Helen Mirren – in Badgley Mischka – I liked the gold color of the gown but the gap between the straps and the sleeves looked odd. Still, Mirren has such grace, class and talent, I can’t have anything but respect for her.
Tina Fey – in a rich shade of blue L’Wren Scott gown. Fey seems to get thinner with each award show and this gown fit her well, along with the soft hair and makeup. Fey is one of the most-improved red carpet gals.
Amy Adams – also in a gorgeous shade of blue, her gown was Marchesa. I don’t love the huge bow/ruffles but the dress moved beautifully as she walked the red carpet and the rich color was so pretty on her.
Susan Downey – I think both she and RDJ wore Prada. I loved her blue gown for its simplicity and elegance. They look like a really happy couple.
Mandy Moore – in a strapless royal blue gown by Monique Lhullier, loose hair, straightforward pretty
Jennifer Lopez – in a white gown with sheer jeweled poncho-like overlay by Zuhair Murad. It was J.Lo’s glowy makeup that really completed this look and the overall effect was soft, pretty and far less diva-ish than we’re accustomed to from her.
Milla Jovovich – in pale grey/taupe Armani Prive – another woman who uses her past experience as a model to wear couture well. This was very old time Hollywood and Jovovich glowed in it.
Edie Falco – in a red geometrically cut Valentino gown. I’m just a sucker for Valentino red.
Gabourey Sidibe – in Marc Bouwer. I just love that she goes with her size and embraces it.
WHAT THE WHAT??
Anne Hathaway – she’s usually one of the best-dressed on the red carpet and many people loved this Armani Prive gown. To me, the mirrored pieces all over the gown were just too much and it was more like a disco ball with shoulder pads. I didn’t think this was one of her – or her stylist Rachel Zoe’s – best choices.
Scarlett Johansson – in Elie Saab – the gown was ornate and pretty but looked way too Victorian for a young gal like Scarjo. The hair was the worst part though; I believe the consensus – and accurate – comment was “Bride of Frankenstein.” The look aged her in the worst way.
Julianne Moore – in a red one-shoulder Lanvin gown. There was just too much dress and it looked like it was swallowing Moore up instead of complimenting her natural beauty. Still love her but this dress did nothing for her.
Natalie Portman – pink Viktor & Rolf strapless gown with beaded red rose accent – I hate to knock a gal’s fashion choice when she’s pregnant but it’s been done so much better in the past (Amy Adams immediately comes to mind) and this dress just looked odd if you looked at it for more than a moment.
Lea Michele – in a Pepto Bismol pink, one-shoulder ruffled gown by Oscar de la Renta. The dress overwhelmed her and my immediate thought was that she looked like she should be standing on top of a wedding cake. Her facial histrionics during the ceremony made me dislike her even more. I think I’ve had my fill of Ms. Michele for now.
Sandra Bullock – Jenny Packham – pink gown with beading, the bangs were too long – reminded me of a sheepdog that needed a haircut
Jennifer Love Hewitt – in a pale blue strapless gown by Romona Keveza – the architectural cut at the top of the gown seemed to confuse a lot of people and it didn’t flatter Love much. The bottom of the gown was very pretty though. The worst part of the look: Love’s Texas housewife hair. She constantly wears this hairdo when she attends award shows and it ages her horribly. What is she thinking???
Christina Aguilera – in Zuhair Murad. This gown did nothing for her except make her look like a lopsided hourglass. Even her hair was off. Misfire.
Leighton Meester – in a pale grey Burberry gown that had none of the style she wears on GOSSIP GIRL. I’m sure this dress looked pretty in real life but on camera, it was dowdy and dull.
Christina Hendricks – in a red red red Romona Keveza one shoulder gown with huge flower on the shoulder. Too much red and it made her look very big, instead of shapely, onscreen. She’s a stunning woman but this didn’t make the most of her considerable assets.
Helena Bonham Carter – she’s always eccentric but this was a bag lady look even though it was by Vivienne Westwood. The cappers were the different color shoes: one red and one green, accented by the extreme bird’s nest hairdo.
THE MEN:
A huge round of applause for the men – they all clean up very nicely and looked quite good! Here are the designers who contributed to the handsome:
Mark Wahlberg – classic tux by Armani
Robert Pattinson – in Gucci
Andrew Garfield – couldn’t find a designer credit
Jesse Eisenberg – Dolce & Gabbana
Colin Firth – not sure who did his tux – couldn’t find designer credit
Christian Bale – Dolce & Gabbana
Johnny Depp – Ralph Lauren Black Label – a really sharp tux
James Franco – in Gucci
Jake Gylenhaal – in Burberry
Jon Hamm – not sure of the designer but he always looks amazing in a tux.
Jeremy Renner – in an all-black ensemble by Prada
Joseph Gordon Levitt – also in Prada
Ryan Gosling – in Salvatore Ferragamo
Steve Buscemi – in Agnes B
Zac Efron – in Calvin Klein Collection
Bieber – in Dolce & Gabbana
Tonight’s TV highlights:
New episodes of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS at 8pm and GREEK at 9pm on ABC Family.
HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER – tonight is the memorial service for Marshall’s dad. I hear it’s very very funny. 8pm – CBS.
CHUCK returns on NBC at 8pm. FINALLY!!!
HARRY’S LAW premieres on NBC at 9pm. This is David E. Kelley’s new drama starring Kathy Bates. While I love Bates, Kelley’s writing doesn’t do her justice as it’s dated. It’s as if Kelley hasn’t moved forward from the 1990s which is a shame because he’s a very intelligent guy who loves issue-oriented stories.
The American adaptation of Brit hit SKINS premieres on MTV at 10pm.
New episodes of THE BACHELOR at 8pm and CASTLE at 10pm on ABC.
REMINDER: BIG LOVE had its season premiere last night and the season opener is a strong one was Bill Hendrickson and his three wives went public at the end of last season and are now dealing with the community’s reactions to their plural marraige. As usual, HBO will repeat the episode throughout the week and I recommend this well-written, finely written observation of marriage and family.
That’s a wrap for now.
