I only meant to watch a few minutes of the SAG Awards last night, but then I realized how few chances I'd have to see Javier Bardem without his No Country For Old Men bowl cut this awards season and I couldn't turn away. The men in that movie do clean up well (although I am not loving Tommy Lee Jones' odd facial hair configuration).
Usually a blip on the red carpet radar, this year's SAG Awards were extra-plumped with stars, as the big names came out to fly their union flag. Brangelina was in the house, as were (pregnant) double nominee Cate Blancett and Best Actor Winner Daniel Day-Lewis, who gave a touching dedication to Heath Ledger. Tom Cruise showed up to present the last award of the night, for Best Cast (although did anyone else fear he would break out into a Scientology rant?) Still, there were some notable exceptions. Where were you, George Clooney? With your political bent, you should have definitely been there to make a statement.
And then there were the fashions. Christina Applegate and Debra Messing represented the good and bad of the metallic trend: the former appeared impeccably beautiful while the latter looked more like a gladiator (with a smushed chest). Some brave shots of color (Nikki Blonsky in royal blue, Kate Beckinsale in lemon yellow) didn't make up for the preponderance of the Safe Black Dress (Edie Falco, Tina Fey). Hair and beauty leaned more toward easy styles and natural tones than usual. Perhaps Hollywood is getting used to staying in?
Of course, now red carpet junkies will have to wait and see if the Oscars will be telecast, or reduced to a press conference a la the Golden Globes. Did the SAG Awards give you a fashion fix? Or have you written the entire celeb-spotting season off? Chris Gray
Javier Bardem looked marvelous in his open white shirt underneath a black Prada suit. The only thing that would might have improved the outfit would have been Penelope Cruz on his arm. If the tab reports are true, they make for one scorching couple.
Meanwhile, Julie Christie looked amazing in her take on the same ensemble. Christie was also a SAG winner -- an ironic name for a group so committed to fighting that very act. Christie shows, as did last year's winner Helen Mirren, that the best way to look astonishing at a certain age (in her case, 66) is to have looked astonishing in one's youth. Karen Heller
