Red Carpet: Governors Award Fashions... Let the Campaigns Begin
Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 5:30PM
Jose here. As Nathaniel noted, the Governors Awards were held last night in Hollywood (yay Maureen O’Hara!). As usual they were pretty much a rehearsal dinner for the Oscars next year. While their red carpet is more subdued than Oscar’s - they’re there to pay tribute to legendary honorees, not to steal their thunder - there were a few exceptions to the rule. After all, if you want people to vote for you, you gotta make sure they remember you.
Let's take a look at what 16 of the Oscar hopefuls wore. What might it mean in the larger scheme of things?
Emily Blunt has worn this exact same thing to at least 10 other award ceremonies, color variations aside. Don't get me wrong, she's stunning etc. etc. etc. but will it help The Baker's Wife's Oscar cause, to look so every-year Blunt? The under-nominated actress should start experimenting and leave her go-to silhouette behind - wear a massive ball gown that tells people...
you've changed! you're daring! You're different in the woods! ♪ ♫
Reese Witherspoon, too, looks the same, except it works to her favor. She's paying homage to Elle Woods, reminding voters how funny and cute she was in Legally Blonde, and how complex and dark she is in Wild by contrast. I rest my case.
Now two Best Actress dark horses, Gugu Mbatha-Raw has been in our minds all year long with her breakthrough performance in the sleeper box office hit Belle, and as she prepares to do the publicity rounds for Beyond the Lights it was delightful to see her attend. Perennial nominations-bridesmaid Marion Cotillard showed up with the Dardennes to remind people how terrific she is in Two Days, One Night, while I'm not particularly in love with her Dior dress (pretty much an altered version of what J.Law wore at the Oscars this year) I hope she talked to everyone at that party (it was 600 people) to convince them to vote for her.
In a just world, Jenny Slate would be a slam dunk contender for Best Actress because she's incredible in Obvious Child, but an indie about abortion without a heartwarming message or a twee soundtrack is perhaps way too cool for Oscar. She definitely seems to be playing the "newbie" card, which is why she showed up dressed like Lupita Nyong'o at this year's ceremony. I hope that helps her cause! Jessica Chastain was there too, as she always is nowadays and rightfully so, and of course she was campaigning for her three or four scenes in Interstellar because it's November and she has made absolutely no other movies this year. I don't know what you mean about a three-hour-long melodrama with James McAvoy in which she's giving us Meryl Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer brilliance and a 1980s gangster flick...I seriously don't.
In a just world, Jenny Slate would be a slam dunk contender for Best Actress because she's incredible in Obvious Child, but an indie about abortion without a heartwarming message or a twee soundtrack is perhaps way too cool for Oscar. She definitely seems to be playing the "newbie" card, which is why she showed up dressed like Lupita Nyong'o at the Oscars. Will it help her campaign subliminally? Jessica Chastain was there too - where isn't she nowadays? -- and of course she was campaigning for her three or four scenes in Interstellar because it's November and she [ahem] has made absolutely no other movies this year. I don't know what you mean about a three-hour-long melodrama with James McAvoy in which she's giving us Meryl Streep in Kramer vs. Kramer brilliance and a 1980s gangster flick with Oscar Isaac in which she's giving us Michelle Pfeiffer in Scarface ...I seriously don't.
Literally, every single person involved in Boyhood was there. All. Of. Them. Look!
Moving on...
If there was such a thing as prom king and queen of awards season red carpet, this year would continue to be a popularity contest by way of The Imitation Game vs. The Theory of Everything. (Cumberbatch may have won round 1 in Toronto but round 2 on the early campaign trail has gone to Redmayne.) Just look at how cute they all are! Will people who vote for Eddie Redmayne feel like they must vote for Felicity Jones too? Can Benedict Cumberbatch win without Keira Knightley? For now, all I can say is that not since Kate & Leo have I wanted two screen couples to get married like I want these Brits to do.
All of these handsome men below are potential Best Actor spoilers, and all of them seem to have shown up primarily to remind voters "hey, we clean up nice too!" since none of them play particularly glamorous characters. I'm especially bowled over by Oscar Isaac's bold brown tux with Clark Gable mischievous mustache accessory. Which one is making you swoon?
About that not-stealing-honorary-thunder business...
When does Tilda Swinton not steal everyone else's thunder? At first it seems strange she was even there until you remember "Remember that weird lady in Snowpiercer !" She undoubtedly has to remind people many times that that was her, which makes her instantly praise worthy. From frumpy to avant garde, now that's how you get votes. Similarly David Oyelowo showed up in one of the only tuxes worth talking about.
Which of these dazzling stars will we be seeing in every red carpet from now until Oscar? What were some of your favorite looks?
Reader Comments (20)
We'll get a lot of Redmayne, Cumberbatch and the marvelous Keira Knightley. I consider it a blessing.
Tilda Swinton! Her hair!
Jessica Chastain is just pure Hollywood glamour isn't she?
Jack O'Connell and Oscar Isaac. Too much sexiness.
Random JessiChas thought: could she campaign for Actress for HER and Supporting for HIM? That'd throw a Barry Fitzgerald-like spanner into the rules (be worth it even if her chances of a nom are low).
Won't the most interesting thing fashion wise over the next few weeks be to determine whether or not Knightley is actually pregnant?
Cotillard has such style. Even if I don't particularly like what she wears at times, she makes it work.
Naturally Tilda is the showstopper.
also -- great observation on Jenny Slate. I can't believe i didn't catch that subliminal trickery
Love the Brits this year! Cumberbatch and Knightley are THE couple to beat on the red carpet. Fingers crossed they both get nominated, both are brilliant actors!
This Chastain girl should give other actresses in her age group a chance at some roles. She's so hungry! Where is Toni Collette, for example?
Wow, that's a lot of pretty.
I'm getting 2005ish vibes on Best Actress again, only I don't know who the Joan Allen would be? I say this because it feels so empty when it comes to viable contenders. I guess the Allen of this year would be Cotillard in THE IMMIGRANT, since she was terrific, like Allen, and in a pre-fall release, like Allen again. Or maybe Lindsay Duncan for LE WEEK-END. I don't know.
Is Moore in STILL ALICE as good as Allen was in UPSIDE?
I am completely prepared for an entire season of watching Eddie Redmayne on a red carpet. #hotdamn
Eddie Redmayne looks especially dapper. Dude is werking that red carpet this year! Bless him.
Reese Witherspoon is literally always the best-dressed movie star in any room. It's absurd.
"You've changed! you're daring! You're different in the woods! ♪ ♫"
I giggled.
I have a crush on, of all people... James Corden. He's so goofy-cute. Hopefully the editor of Into the Woods allows him to shine as The Baker.
Jack O'Connell needs to work on his image, methinks. He's a beautiful man, but he keeps doing the Sean Penn sleezy-chic thing on red carpets this season. I feel like playing up his cuteness, while it reminds voters that he's super young, could win him more votes.
Evan - I decided I'd marry James Corden some day after I saw "Begin Again", he's absolutely adorable. Jack O'Connell reminds me of Gary Oldman when he played that drunk actor in "Friends". He needs to pull it together.
Jose- He won me over at the 2012 Tonys and then broke my heart by revealing that he was straight and engaged. Booooooo!
My Oscar dream this year is Keira and Marion, both deserve second nominations and nobody dresses the way they do, Mademoiselle Chanel and Lady Dior.
I get to trademark "Remember that weird lady," right?
@BVR: No. She's good but not that good. I like the Duncan analogy.