Red Carpet Lineup: BAFTA w/ Cate, Rooney, Angela...
Tuesday, February 16, 2016 at 10:30AM Jose here. London, bloody London, or rainy for that matter. It seems that as usual, it was either freezing, rainy or both at the BAFTA red carpet, and while sometimes the inclement weather makes for some truly adorable moments when actresses must accesorize accordingly (remember Marion's cute faces trying to stay dry in 2013?) sometimes it doesn't (Kate's gigantic umbrella in 2009 was a tragedy) This year we had two beautiful ladies showing us the right and wrong way to do it. Rooney Mara took on the red carpet in Givenchy Haute Couture which she chose to cover under a shapeless black coat. Once she removed it, there wasn't much to see either, she has worn this exact same dress at least 100 times by now. She gets points for being so funny/dismissive about the red carpet game though.
No, everyone's yelling at you"
...she said to a reporter who asked if she liked the experience.
Rooney Mara x 2. God herself x 2
This poses a fascinating dilemma, I adore actresses and couture, but is it really part of their job to pretend to enjoy red carpets? On the other side, Julianne Moore went for a dazzling custom Armani complete with a stunning shoulder cape. Her Holiness indeed.
Best Actress Nominees
Saoirse, Alicia, and Cate x 2
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't BAFTA usually a showcase for very muted colors in dresses? Why aren't people trying to spice up the London life? Saoirse Ronan looked gorgeous in Burberry, while the dress isn't necessarily something to write home for, her hair and makeup were flawless. Vikander surprised no one in yet another Louis Vuitton design (her hair screamed Versace though), and you gotta love Cate the great...everytime she knows she'll lose, she just goes all out. She donned two Alexander McQueen gowns that night, the first which I choose to believe she selected because she secretly wants to please me, the second because girl loves paying tribute to herself.
Kate (who won!), Stacy Martin, and Angela Bassett.
Kate Winslet went for a very sober Antonio Berardi and Versace hair (it's an actual thing). Someday I'll understand BAFTA guest lists, today is not the day, but rather than be confounded, I'll praise them for asking Stacy Martin (Nymphomaniac) and Angela Bassett to attend, if nothing other than because they showed everyone how it's done. Martin was breathtaking in a velvet Miu Miu, and Angela Bassett brought some much needed sexiness (and a bright hue!) to the red carpet in a custom Galia Lahav. Kudos for showing off those guns.
Who were your favorite BAFTA ladies? Any theory on why nobody bothers ever wearing color to these?
Reader Comments (21)
Mara's gown is exquisite. And not black. But damn, is she a miserabilist.
Red carpets are part of the job. Being on RC helps in promoting their films and careers, besides most of the actresses featured on this page earn a living endorsing beauty brands. Even grumpy Rooney used to shell for Calvin Klein. And most know it is part of their job and just get on with it. Some enjoy it more than others. Cate obviously LOVES to pose.
I loved the Mcqueen on Cate and Saoirse's Burberry dress the most. Kate wore the same style dress she usually wears, but she always comes with a good attitude and that goes a long way.
As for Rooney, her sad robot face and interchangeable dresses make for a persona that is hard to love. And so Boring.
After all these red carpets I'm convinced that Julianne Moore & Saoirse Ronan should work together on something.
This seems like a good time to pause and think of Rosamund Pike. That poor girl had no clue what she was doing on the red carpet last year and we haven't heard a peep out of her career since.
It is really impressive how Cate the Great always manage to look spectacular.
Murtada: the definition of a job is you get paid for it, usually red carpets, press interviews, Oscar season shenanigans, promos are NOT paid/part of contracts. So calling it "part of the job" is wrong because god knows many of these people would rather be at home eating ice cream and/or spending time with their families, rather than talking to E! clowns. Your Cate LOVES it, but I don't think you're being objective by calling it a "job". I love fashion when people wanna do fashion, but I find it sad that so many times people's actual work is evaluated based on unimportant things like their red carpet efforts. You know Rooney - who I adore - "loses votes" by being so nonchalant about her disdain for red carpets, when it should be about her work.
"... usually red carpets, press interviews, Oscar season shenanigans, promos are NOT paid/part of contracts...."
Actually, Jose, they are usually contractual obligations of principal performers.
When Lancôme or Armani or CK or l'oreal pays an actress to appear on red carpets to endorse their products it's a job. When red carpets increase an actress' visibility and promotes their current project leading to better paying future projects = a job.
That's what I meant and I don't think I am wrong in calling it a job.
Paul: Before we get into showbiz law, let's just say "usually" in both cases might be the wrong term, since contracts are handled differently per film/actor. I know from my own research (interviews I've done with actors, managers, agents, stylists, production people) that indies/small budget films can't afford to pay people for red carpet/media appearances. The huge superhero movies obviously include them, but I highly doubt every single other movie does.
Yeah, Kate is not reinventing the wheel, but she looked FAB. She at least wins for BEST HAIR. And then there's all the photos of her with her arm around hot men all night... Idris, Michael, Leo, Eddie... she had a great night!
I still don't get the appeal of Rooney Mara. Lovely on-screen, utterly boring/dour on the red carpet. She's approaching "dementor" status for me. I guess I need to see more interviews or something with her because she's not someone you can even get excited about. I mean, you're an actress. Pretend you're a character, do a smile and a spin and haul your ass off the carpet if it's that bad. You know you have to do a carpet on the awards circuit. Grin and bear it. Even Kristen Stewart managed to get past it and she was probably just as bad during the Twilight years.
Kate is kind of been there, done that but she was *working* it. Plus, she must have paid someone to stand with a fan because every pic of her i've seen had her hair blowing ever so majestically. Saorise looks great in closeups but from further away, the dress is kind of shapeless. Cate gets the win for me.
@ LadyEdith - I am so on the same page! I actually love Rooney Mara in the movies, she's capable of so much, and then we get to her off screen persona and she's such a sad sack of sour, it becomes really hard to live her!
@ Hayden W. - I actually had fun following Rosamund Pike on the Red Carpet last season. I remember being impressed how fit she looked in the Golden Globes despite having delivered a baby a few months before, then she showed up at the SAG Awards with a dress that looked like one of those crazy challenges from Project Runway and I was all "Gurl, what's up with that??", but when it came to the big date, she actually slayed the Oscar RC with a beautiful red dress that made her look both sexy and classy. It was one of my favorite looks of the entire season. Plus, none of the nominated leading ladies had a particularly spectacular 2015, especially Julianne Moore, with Freeheld tanking massively and a razzie nom for Seventh Son, so no need to single out Ms. Pike.
Speaking of Julianne Moore, I loved her clean, elegant look. Simple and timeless. She has that beautiful mane of red hair, so she can rock a softer palette because nature has already provided her with bold colors.
Finally, I just would like to remind everybody that Angela Bassett is 57, so we can all feel like rubbish. What a gorgeous woman, my God!
I don't like the penguin looks on Cate and Julianne. Saoirse and Alicia look the best and most relaxed to me. Kate Winslet look = Dynasty.
Jose - When an Actor/Actress gets nominated for an Oscar, Bafta, GG's, Sag, etc. That is a golden year - for most in the profession it might NEVER happen, or just a few lucky times. So yeah - I expect nominees to show up and at least be a good sport about the public appearances involved. And some even show JOY.
Because they might just spend years not getting any recognition. So I do wish RM would lighten up and enjoy what she has.
Rooney Mara makes it clear she doesn't like the red carpet in interviews, " I’m just not that interested in that world. But it does matter, and either I can fight that or I just have to accept that it is a part of my job, and I may as well wear things that I like and that represent me.”
Most of her way is paid by the studio fronting the awards campaign and then there are all the freebies, swag bags, dining at Kensington Palace, perks, etc. Not to mention the several million in salary for each film. And not to mention awards nominations and name recognition increases her asking price for a movie. She financially benefits from all this publicity.
Which is why I wish she would just get over the angst of it all. I think if she were to wait 5 or more years for the next nomination that would change her entitled spoiled attitude.
Carmen - thanks for sticking up for Rosamund Pike - people don't have to be perfect every time to be interesting or successful on the red carpet. Her red dress at the Oscars was a home run.
Hayden - She has "A United Kingdom" coming out this year which does look interesting. Films take time - fellow nominee Felicity Jones didn't release anything this year, but has some in the pipeline.
Jose, in my own very limited experience (and in the more extensive experience of colleagues and friends) as a principal player, it doesn't matter what size the film or TV production is, there is almost always a clause in your contract about PR obligations. Now, if the film is a poor indie production with no $ to finance getting you to non-local festivals, premieres and the like, you are obviously off the hook, because you are not obliged to pay out of pocket. But this doesn't apply to Mara. If you're invited to the festivals and nominated for the awards she has been, someone is going to find the funds to get you there...and the stylists and designers will be throwing dresses at you. (Not to mention the fact that she is an heiress, and money is not really an issue for her.) So if she's there on the red carpet and clearly doesn't enjoy it, she's doing it because it is her job and her obligation.
Also what LadyEdith said.
I love Rosamund Pike, and was mostly teasing! Her looks DID underwhelm, and she HAS had a quiet year. Those things aren't necessarily gospel nor cause-and-effect related. I always forget that during the month of February people get dreadfully serious at all times.
I have to agree on Rooney Mara - when I watch the red carpet shows, I'm almost waiting to see how sour she'll seem this time.
Kate's hair is made of awesome. I wish she'd wear it down more often.
Saoirse is looking quite lovely for her first major red carpet season (she was so young for Atonement that it hardly counts). I have enjoyed seeing her come into her own this year.
I don't think Kate's umbrella was bad at all!
Queen Cate SLAYED the Red Carpet! lol
Odd question Jose, but where do you find good pics of past awards circuit dresses? You often link to great images that I had forgotten about...
Is there some kind of, dare I say it, Master Dress Archive?