Red Carpet: Screen Actors Guild Awards 2011

Just another award ceremony as part of Spring's award season in tinsel town, the Screen Actors Guild Awards took place at the Shrine Auditorium in LA today (Monday, Singapore time). The red carpet was filled with celebrities all well-dressed in designer labels and they certainly didn't disappoint. In fact, I think it was one up from the Golden Globes just weeks ago. There was more colour and variety and I see celebrities breaking out of their safety zones and wearing more unpredictable looks.

Natalie Portman has been making headlines with her breakthrough role as perfectionist ballerina in her latest movie Black Swan. And she's winning more than just the Globes for it. At the SAG Awards, the actress picked up the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her work in Black Swan. Natalie displayed her baby bump in a strapless white gown by Azzaro and accessorized with Tiffany & Co. pieces. A black Roger Vivier clutch matching her black heels complete the winning actress' look.

Natalie's Black Swan costar Mila Kunis, who lost out to Melissa Leo of The Fighter for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, wore a blazing Alexander McQueen number for the night and I thought she looked stunning. Few opted for such a strong colour that night and that made Mila outstanding at the award show.

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara went with a cobalt blue low-cut gown by Roberto Cavalli for the event and while Sofia continues on her bright colour streak on the red carpet, I still think she looked rather boring. The look is fine, don't get me wrong, but she just likes to stick to her safe looks of similar styles, only of varying colours, and she doesn't do much to her hair. Despite the bling by Chopard, it's all deja vu for me everytime I see her in formal wear.

Also out to support Modern Family, which won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, was Sarah Hyland. The starlet wore an orange Max Mara strapless which worked so well against her skin tone and her brown wavy locks. This young actress is certainly not new to such grand events but she's doing a great job with age-appropriate wardrobe choices.

Nominated for her performance as a supporting actress in The Fighter, Amy Adams displayed her post-pregnancy figure in a white halter gown by Herve Leroux. Wearing Kimberly McDonald jewellery, Amy showed that you can still look fab in a white gown even when you have such a fair complexion. AND after giving birth.

Redhead actress Christina Hendricks was out supporting her series Mad Men which was up for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series but lost the award to Boardwalk Empire. Finally I'm seeing Christina in something that's not red and giving off a completely different vibe with this L'Wren Scott sequinned dress that features a waist-tie and a front slit. I'm gonna say that I like the look 'cause it was not something that I had expected to see her in and she still looks fab. The dark colour of her dress sets off the fiery colour in her hair. The look was completed with a matching Judith Leiber clutch and Rene Caovilla heels.

Also rooting for Mad Men was January Jones who made yet another attempt at making a statement on the red carpet at the SAG Awards. This time, the actress was in a Carolina Herrera creation and I must say this look was great on January, definitely better than the one she wore at the Golden Globes. The graphic print dress is from the label's Pre-Fall collection for 2011 and January Jones wore it with her blond hair in a side-swept up-do. Continuing the vintage streak, I see. 

Reality TV star and ex-stylist Kim Kardashian looked spectacular in a purple gown by Marchesa. The Keeping Up With The Kardashians babe wore her embellished single-shoulder gown with Lorraine Schwartz jewels and Christian Louboutin heels. It was a fabulous look and I love seeing colour on Kim and I hope to see more of that on her. Orange would be good. While I actually like the maroon version of the dress (as seen on the model, below), and I think maroon would have been a unique choice for Kim, purple just made Kim look younger and more radiant.

30 Rock creator Tina Fey was stunning in red when she strolled the red carpet in an Oscar de la Renta number with floral cut-outs. It was a great look to see on Tina and she should certainly go for more striking colours and designs like this 'cause she is after all one of the industry's greatest celebrities. No need to worry about over-shadowing more experienced actresses 'cause she is in that place herself. I've never seen her more radiant and diva-licious than this. Tina was a winner on the carpet despite 30 Rock losing to Modern Family for the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

Mother to her new child born to a surrogate mother is Nicole Kidman who graced the evening's event in a black Nina Ricci dress. The Rabbit Hole actress' floor-sweeping gown consisted of a laced-back and neckline decorated with floral details together with puffed sleeves. Nicole lost out to Natalie Portman in the category for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role.

Taking home the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries was Claire Danes, for her work in Temple Grandin. She wore a strapless, floral ballgown by Louis Vuitton, which was a great choice for me since it was something different from the plain or glittery gowns which I've seen her in way too much. I simply adore the dress, something which I would have picked out for myself. The patterns are so pretty! I love it that Claire belted the dress at the waist but I don't really fancy the long strap sticking out.

Desperate Housewives' Eva Longoria came out of her black shell from the Globes and transformed into a shining star in an all-white ensemble made up of a low-cut Georges Hobeika low-cut gown and a Salvatore Ferragamo miniaudiere. Eva still looks fab without her arm candy aka ex-husband Tony Parker. No, she looks better than ever.

Susan Sarandon was in a purple Nicole Miller dress as she finished off the look with a perfect messy up-do and simple accessories with a black clutch. Susan Sarandon was always classy and fashionable and this time, it was no exception.

At the SAG Awards, Glee was up for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series but lost out to Modern Family (NO!). Nonetheless, the cast showed up in support of their series and everyone looked amazing. Lea Michele who plays Rachel in the comedy series blew kisses to the photogs in her glittery Oscar de la Renta Spring 2011 gown. It was definitely one of the looks I like more of Lea's because it's not over-the-top and without the drama, she looked gorgeous in simple natural make-up.

Then there's Dianna Agron - one of my red carpet favourites. She dazzled once again in an unpredictable choice of a midnight blue Chanel mid-length strapless. Both the dress and Dianna looked so beautiful there's nothing not to like. Ferragamo black pumps and clutch complete the look.

Amber Riley gave her best smile arriving at the SAG Awards in a single-shouldered Anne Barge ruffled mermaid-cut dress that featured a giant shoulder detail. Amber also wore her hair with bangs in a blow-out.

Amber's costar Jenna Ushkowitz showed up in a champagne strapless number by Badgley Mischka with which she wore with gold accessories by Neil Lane. A Judith Leiber clutch completed the look. I don't really fancy the dress 'cause it doesn't look very expensive. I've definitely seen better designs from Badgley Mischka which remains on my list of favourite designers. Perhaps the washed out colour just didn't quite work with the ruffles.

Jane Lynch, a recent Golden Globes winner, brought her wife along to the ceremony as she strode in wearing an elaborate purple gown by Ali Rahimi. She matched the lavender gown with a Swarovski clutch in a jewel-tone shade of purple. I, for one, am not so sure lavender is Jane's colour. I would like to see how she would've looked if the colours on her dress and clutch had switched instead - i.e. jewel-tone purple gown and a lavender-coloured clutch. I think stronger colours work better with her though I would agree that a lighter colour helps to ease on her tall frame.

Jayma Mays looked so sweet in her peachy Jenny Packham grecian dress. I'm loving the entire look, from her brown wavy hair right down to her strappy Jimmy Choos. The look is simple but gorgeous and I'm so glad she chose this colour 'cause it worked really well on her and darker colours, as I've seen previously, just make her look thinner than she truly is and this neutral colour gown helps to widen out her petite figure.

While I'm here, I just wanted to bring notice to some Glee boys who looked so handsome that night. Matthew Morrison was hunky in his Prada suit and unbuttoned shirt (phew!). Everything's in the picture, so just drool over him. I did.

Canadian actor Cory Monteith presented at the show with Eva Longoria and looked every bit like the desirable quarterback as he strutted his stuff in his suit and tie, to which he attached a cute little guitar pin.

Up for two nominations, one for her work in Black Swan and the other in When Love Is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story, Winona Ryder wore Alberta Ferretti (one of my favourite red carpet dress designer) to the SAG Awards. Winona contrasted her wedding dress-like gown with a little black evening bag and accessorized with jewels by Gray. I'm not crazy about the look, and I think it's largely due to her evening bag. It seems to have cheapened the entire look and she should have opted for a miniaudiere instead.

Hilary Swank looked swanky in her nude single-shoulder dress by Versace. The Million Dollar Baby actress exuded elegance as she matched her dress with a peach-coloured clutch by VBH. I actually like how Hilary looked that night. The dress was beautiful and little effort was needed to glam up the rest of the look. I like soft colours on her mainly because of her features and toned built which requires some toning down with such neutral shades.

I'd like to say the same for Rosario Dawson, who presented with Josh Duhamel to Claire Danes. The actress looked vibrant wearing a light yellow deep-V gown by J. Mendel, which I must say was a perfect contrast against her dark skin tone. I like her in such soft pastel colours rather than the strong ones like cobalt blue. Not that she looks bad otherwise, but just a personal preference. Salvatore Ferragamo shoes and clutch finished up the look for Rosario.

Finally, Helena Bonham Carter. We've seen enough of ridiculous looks on the red carpet from this British lady and boy, was I glad to see her in something decent for the SAG Awards. Helena wore a duo-tone dress by Marc Jacobs and thankfully, she was in matching shoes and looked normal. Without those Ray-Ban shades, that is. But seriously, something needs to be done to the hair.

Fashion in a Week.

Early last week, Jessica Alba attended the Vogue Paris Dinner as part of the kick-start to Paris Fashion Week. The actress wore a glitter single-shoulder frock by Gucci. The dress had a interesting twist to it with the cape-like cloth that draped over the back but I'm not too sure it looked as glamourous as it would have without it. Jessica did, however, opt out of ordinary pumps for rose-gold satin heels which completed the look fabulously.

Also at the event and in Gucci was Diane Kruger. I couldn't put my finger to what was wrong with the look but she just looked so awkward to me. Could be the boney shoulders or just that the dress doesn't seem to flatter her at all. It looked way too heavy on the front and personally, I disliked the bib-bodice look. She did manage to balance off the heavy-top with some dainty strappy heels, though.

The O.C. actress Mischa Barton was in Russia for the premiere of her latest film You and I wearing a long-sleeve black dress. The look is super Carey Mulligan and while I did like the dress, I think it would have worked better without the black tights.

The Hills reality TV star Kristin Cavallari was spotted out and about in LA in J Brand skinny jeans. Shopping around with her beau Jay Cutler, Kristin matched them with a white tank-top, which I thought made her look kinda beefy. I'm not a fan of such cuttings and I think they don't do much for the female figure at all. Oh but those shoes get both my thumbs up.

On a different day, Kristin channeled some retro vibes in wide-legged denim with which she wore a tie-dyed tee. I did like the vintage-feel that came with the whole ensemble and her platforms added to the look. I prefer this look over the previous one, anytime.

Up In The Air actress Anna Kendrick landed in LAX in casual wear, which consisted of a blue Batman tee worn underneath a hoodie and over a pair of brown trousers. This was kinda disappointing coming from a girl who always looked her sweetest on the red carpet. Don't even get me started on those shoes.

Heidi Klum was a busy woman as usual as she trotted from event to event still looking her glamourous and sexy self at 40. In London, the Victoria's Secrets alum model looked edgy in a short LBD by Marchesa. I love all the differing details on the frock, from the feathered hem and sleeves to the embellished bodice. The perfect and unique LBD. Heidi also opted for some slingback heels instead of the standard black pumps, which was great.

Flying across to Germany, Heidi's hometown, the Project Runway host was in Hamburg promoting Astor's range of makeup products. She looked so elegant in a long-sleeve teal dress worn with her hair down. Heidi completed the look with strappy Christian Louboutin shoes.

Fresh out from the treatment facility is Camp Rock starlet Demi Lovato. She was spotted out getting a cup of Starbucks coffee in a casual outfit comprising of her usual black jeans and boots. Demi threw over a patterned scarf for some added dimension.

Days later, Demi was out again in a similar get-up. I did like the look above, especially where the shirt and scarf are matching in colour. But the black scarf and the black boots in the outfit below seemed to have weighed her down and she ended up looking rather bulky with the overdose of black.

 Kim Kardashian was all over town from meetings to shopping trips with her sisters in tow. She was first spotted in a leather jacket and light-washed denim by 7 For All Mankind. Wide-legged jeans from the 70's are definitely making a come-back. Kim complemented her neutral-themed outfit with an Alexander McQueen satchel.

Shopping at Barneys, Kim was joined by older sister Kourtney. Both sisters were in wide-legged denim by 7 For All Mankind.

Alice in Wonderland actress Anne Hathaway was hands-on clashing prints at the screening of her upcoming animated movie Rio. The fair lady wore a cropped knit-top and polka dotted pants (both by Marni) and finished off the ensemble with a pair of brown Casadei platform shoes. The look was very playful and the print-clash was a total genius. Love the way it was done with a tinge of vintage. Reminds me a lot of Miu Miu but Marni did great.

Ashley Tisdale did a program recording with Mario Lopez at The Grove as she appeared before the crowd in an off-shoulder top and matching lacey shorts. I love Ashley and her Californian girl vibes but I'm not feeling this outfit at all. It's looking kinda skimpy in public, even in sunny LA.

Silent Sunday - Paws of a Relaxed Cat

For more Silent Sunday posts go here - And wish Jay a very Happy Birthday!!!!

The Gallery - Children

For this week's Gallery Tara gave us Children as a topic....Incredibly tricky...what to choose?

I don't know about you but I find it incredibly difficult to get a natural picture of my children.

They both have inherited their father's ability to gurn, the minute a camera is put in front of them (which, in fairness to them, is quite often).

For the more politically correct. Here are some photo's where my children 'show their personality'.

For example...

I call that one Blue Steel (If you have seen Zoolander you will know what I mean).

And this

I have no name for the above.

It seems my parents struggled with this as well.

But then, every so often you get lucky and capture a really natural moment of pure joy.

Which is why love photography. x

Movie Review: Hereafter.

Caught Hereafter just last week, and I watched it before I even caught the trailer. Okay, technically I did, but just a few hours before the movie and after the show was decided on. Daring move on my part, but some reviews on the papers and online raved about it, and afterall, Clint Eastwood is a renowned director while Steven Spielberg co-produced the show. How bad can it get, right?

Wrong.

Giving this movie 2.5 out of 5, I went in with some amount of expectations, I mean, Matt Damon always does good movies. I came out of it a little disappointed that it was almost silent for half of the movie and while mainstream cinemas may not classify this movie to be of an abstract piece, I do, in my personal cataloguing. Movies with after-life themes have always been intriguing for me and despite not being a fan of horror flicks, I do enjoy the kick of some heart-thumping, shocking scenes. Hereafter is nothing like that.

This plot revolves around the mystery behind life after death, where three different stories ultimately come together to give one concluding end to the film. The story of Marcus facing the loss of his twin brother touched me the most. Well, I am guilty of being an unstoppable faucet when it comes to touching stories and to be honest, the English boy (George or Frankie McLaren) did a great job in transferring his emotions to the audience - I swear I heard a couple of sniffs that didn't belong to me. 

Matt Damon probably used only 20% of his expertise as a Hollywood actor to bring out his character - not only because he is a marvelous action flick actor, but also because most of his character's portrayals relied heavily on facial expressions and body language alone. That is not to say, however, that Matt had a easy job though he did manage to come across to me as a lonely introvert, which George Lonegan, his character, was. Those lonely meals and how Melanie (Bryce Dallas Howard - almost like a calefare!) left him just when he thought he had found a companion in life - well done.

The ending seemed like a rather abrupt closure at the end of the two-hour movie when the characters George and Marie LeLay (played by Cécile De France) are drawn together. 

Don't expect much from this show, which I recommend to watch only if you have nothing better to do than to catch a show but you've actually watched everything else that's showing. It only makes things harder if you're not a Matt Damon or Clint Eastwood fan.