the red carpet games

The Oscars, red carpet-wise, wasn't all that much of an improvement from the Golden Globes or the SAGs, or whatever.

More of the long, slim, sparkly satin thing, worn without much personality. There were of course, exceptions, such the ever reliable Cate Blanchett, who can make a conventional sparkler (Armani Prive) really come alive -

Of course she also has that incredible body to pull it off, but Ms Blanchett really inhabits her clothes - she pulls them off and gives them something special; it's not like she's putting it on to become someone's idea of something.

I think most people would ignore this dress but I love it -

Jessica Biel has some really excellent stylists (I believe it's Estee Stanley and Christina Erlich, not sure about my spelling) who know a thing or two about picking the right thing for their client. This Oscar de la Renta suits Ms Biel's strong, athletic frame, it has something of a swimsuit vibe that suits her California girl image perfectly. The belt reins it in a bit, making it a bit more elegant and ladylike.

Plus Ms Biel has the personality and the right skin tone to pull off that vibrant colour - a colour that really popped amidst the tamer looks on the red carpet.

It may be a styled look, but it's very well-styled - it looks like something Ms Biel would genuinely love.

Eva Green's Givenchy number might look a bit Bride of Frankenstein, but it's a very elegant and chic bride, mind you. The nude colour is great on Ms Green, and I like the long sleeves, but she could lose the Morticia Addams impersonation - what's up with that?

Helen Mirren looked appropriately regal in Lacroix -

Maggie Gyllenhaal finally understood the meaning of support (and got the mix of textures just right) in Proenza Schouler -

Put your hands together for Catherine Denueve, for picking a dress with a sense of humour (by way of Jean Paul Gaultier) -

Special mention to Rachel Weisz for her Vera Wang, which had all kinds of lovely details up close -

And that's about it for the niceties. Everyone else was boring. There wasn't really any downright bad, just dullness galore, with the occasional ill-fitting for distraction.

There goes Nicole Kidman in her usual form-fitting column, this time in flaming red -

Strange why her Balenciagas never seem to bear any relation to the Balenciaga we see on the runways, or in stores. Does Nicolas Ghesquiere have a completely different persona when it comes to red carpet dresses?

Penelope Cruz goes for more froth, this time threatening to consume the red carpet in her Atelier Versace -

Cameron Diaz's Valentino doesn't appear to fit very well -

As does Jennifer Hudson's teensy bolero. Plus, the brown dress does not appear to suit her seemingly vibrant personality -

And the pose - Andre Leon Talley taught you the pose, didn't he?

Kirsten Dunst picked a great dress and manages to look droopy in it, what a waste of Chanel couture -

Gywneth Paltrow had to pick a completely uncomfortable looking hairstyle. I liked the dress though, even as it borders just a bit on generic -

I'll skip the rest - Reese Witherspoon, Naomi Watts, Kate Winslet, Anne Hathaway etc etc who looked pretty much whatever. It wasn't as bad as the Golden Globes, but next year, let's hope for a little more imagination okay?

Pictures from www.style.com