A Better Life

I've been away for a week or so to recharge after a busy awards show season and to take some time for myself.  I'm officially back though and ready to bring you all the latest in entertainment news.  It's been a while since I posted a film recommendation, but my last one wound up with four Oscar nominations. The film I'm recommending this time around has already scored its Oscar nomination for Best Actor for Demian Bechir.  I interviewed him twice during Oscars week here and here, so I was already a fan.  He's charming, sweet, and incredibly nice to the press, but his performance in A Better Life is heartbreaking.  I think this film was overlooked during all of the awards hoopla by bigger movies like The Artist and Hugo.  This flick is one to add to your summer Netflix list.  It quietly unfolds with subtle performances that surround a pretty controversial topic here in the United States, illegal immigration.

Now, no matter how you feel about illegal immigration, it will be hard not to be moved by the human side to this story.  I know it certainly opened my eyes to the struggle of being in a country illegally whether it is right or not.  In Southern California, the immigrant population certainly makes up a huge part of our daily live with gardeners, housekeepers, restaurant help, and construction workers, so it can be hard to formulate a blanket statement on the issue and that is the exact question A Better Life raises....especially when the undocumented workers have children who are legal U.S. citizens.  Demian was quite vocal about his stance on the issue throughout the season because he knows firsthand about what it is like to live U.S. illegally.  He came to the States to pursue his acting dreams and he lived his life as an illegal immigrant in New York City.  A 1986 amnesty program gave him his green card which eventually put him on the road to an Academy Award nomination.  So, no matter where you stand on the issue, watch the film and let me know what you think in the comments below.  Have you seen A Better Life yet?

Anatomy Of A Dress

Awhile back I mentioned that a dress was being created for me by V. Mora Designs for an Oscars Week event.  I wore the dress on the red carpet to The Wrap's Pre-Oscars event at the Four Seasons Hotel where Oscar nominees Demian Bechir and Max von Sydow celebrated their awards season triumphs.  I wanted to  document how the whole dress came together so you can see how it all began.

Anna Livermore of V. Mora Designs asked me to pick some silhouettes that I liked.  I saw a photo of a dress that she had created that I loved and I sent a photo of a DVF dress since Diane von Furstenberg is one of my favorite designers.

 DVF

V. Mora Designs

Anna then sent me a series of sketches and fabrics.  We decided on a silk charmeuse fabric in coral since I haven't worn that color much on the red carpet.

While I was in Chicago for Toyota Live, we scheduled our first fitting.  Some adjustments were made on sizing and the collar.

We flirted with adding feathers to the tapered end of the asymmetrical collar, but the simplicity of the dress design spoke for itself.

Anna did some finishing touches and shipped it to me just in time for the event last Wednesday.  Here is what it looked like on the red carpet paired with my beloved Stuart Weitzman shoes.

The dress is being shipped back to Chicago as we speak because it will be auctioned off at Chicago Roundup to benefit the GLBT community who are in recovery.  I am so happy my dress will go to a great cause and I hope it brings in lots of money for the charity.

V. Mora Designs was featured in the March issue of Chicago Social, so check out the article (on Page 85) and my quote about Anna's incredible work.  Thank you, Anna, it was a pleasure to wear your designs on the red carpet.  You make a girl look good.

Find out more about V. Mora Designs here.

On The Red Carpet at the 84th Annual Academy Awards: The Interviews

Can you tell I am excited to be there?

I was covering Hollywood's biggest night for Starpulse this year and you can read the article here. I am very excited by the interviews we were able to secure this year thanks to the new online media section on the red carpet.  It was the perfect place for us to be and you will see with our interviews with Tony Bennett, Demian Bechir, Meryl Streep, Berenice Bejo, and more that this red carpet was a hot one.  So, watch our interviews and let me know what you think.  Who was your favorite at the Oscars this year?

The Wrap's Pre-Oscars Party

Dress by V.Mora. (Details to come next week!)

We hit a hot red carpet on Wednesday night thanks to TheWrap.com who hosted a fantastic Pre-Oscars party at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.  If you have seen any of my recent press junkets, they also usually happen at the Four Seasons, so yeah, the doormen know me at that hotel.  I am officially a part of the regular press circuit now.  That's pretty cool.

But, back to that red carpet!  How does Oscar Nominee, Demian Bechir in a custom cut suit sound to you?  So hot and so nice.  I also had the opportunity to speak with Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close nominee, Max von Sydow, who is just such a lovely man.  While I was not a huge fan of the movie, I must say his nomination is well-deserved.  Other celebs included Missi Pyle from The Artist who bonded with me over our love for Chagoury Couture as well as Jane Seymour, and Dennis Haysbert.  

Check out our night of interviews and my custom dress from V. Mora Designs. I will talk more about the dress next week and give you the inside scoop on the charity we are donating it to.

   

Oscars Week: Day 3

Today was the official unrolling of the red carpet on Hollywood Boulevard and in the video below, I give you a glimpse of what it looked like before.  We will show you plenty of after shots as the week progresses.  I also found my spot on the red carpet and in the backstage pressroom during the official walk-thrus today.  We received the usual speech about not photographing your credentials and posting them to the various social media sites. (I talked about it here.) It may sound silly, but it is a rule they take very seriously.  Any breech of contract results in a loss of your credentials.  You don't want to be that person and I can guarantee you someone has already had their creds yanked by now.  Now if the Academy only ran the TSA, we would never see another terrorist in this country again.  That's how strictly their rules are enforced.

Later, I went to a fantastic red carpet hosted by TheWrap.com which is one of my favorite awards season sites. (Hit up Steve Pond's column for Oscar insight.)  I had the opportunity to interview Acting nominees:  Max von Sydow from Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and Demian Bechir from A Separate Life.  I will post those interviews soon, but let me tell you.....the happy crying has officially begun.  For whatever reason, year 2 at the Oscars is even sweeter.  I feel like I belong.  

Behind the Scenes of the Oscar Nominees Luncheon

Last week was the Oscar Nominees luncheon which is an intimate look at the current crop of Hollywood's finest.  I offered my coverage with Mingle Media TV in video form, but I thought it would be fun to give you a look into my notes written in a stream of consciousness form.  I cleaned up any spelling or grammar errors since I was typing on my iPad, but it's a true insider's look on how it all went down.  Enjoy!

Notes:

Learned my lesson last year. Eat before you go. Starbucks run.  Front row this year. Reporter to my left is trying to get the scoop on my marital/dating status, reporter to my right is fantastically wacky.  I like her.  

11:33AM George Clooney:  Go big or go home.  Came early for "free booze". Repeated question that each reporter asked--total media pro. It's good to be a friend of George--Viola/ Brad stay at Lake Como. Sam from KTLA wants to know how he can stay here. Ah, the media is so funny.  Sooo handsome. Oooo, he dropped an F-bomb. Awesome. Rooting for Alexander Payne. Delicious...reporter next to me giggles because I uttered that comment out loud.

Hear my question at the 5:15 mark.....

11:42PM Rooney Mara:  Slight and quite bashful. Ah, my first dress question gets answered. No dress yet. "people send you things and you find something you like.  I dont like a lot of color". " Pierced one nipple, not both. She's keeping it for now, doesn't want to pierce it again. "Everything happened so fast., trying to take it all in." Mugler jacket/ASOS jumpsuit which she pronounces as "A-S-O-S".

11:58AM Max von Sydow: What an honor. Media asking who he was excited to meet. Christopher Plummer. He's so distinguished. How about the ladies? asks a reporter.  He responds, "Yes, some of the directors too." Ah, a sense of humor. Moves in to hear a question. Standing in front of me. Should I hug him?  Nominated 29 years ago for Pelle the Conquerer here. Yes, someone finally asks him a good question.

12:05PM Viola Davis:  Hot, hot in hot pink. "if you guys could see me at home with my cornrows...."  Great story about getting George's villa for her honeymoon. "Greatest gift anyone could have given us". Lost her hair at 28 after reading bad review about her Broadway show due to stress. "At 46, let so much of that go.  Define joy and happiness for yourself. and I've got my hair." She has the room memorized. It's quiet in here. Sign of a star. Wearing JC Abando that day.

12:11PM Jonah Hill/Brad Pitt:  Matching gray suits. Brad has shiny hair. Everyone talking to Brad. Jonah is hanging back, kind of quiet. Lots of Latin outlets asking about Demian's performance. "a story of value and getting second chances." (Pitt). Pranks:  Brad is the "bobby Fischer is pranks...a masterful art form with this guy", says Hill.

12:18PM Janet McTeer:  Wearing a formal suit. Says it was hard "trying to play an Irishman in front of an Irish crew. That was really scary." Their reaction was "what the f--k was that?!".  HA!   Second f-bomb of the day. Rooting for Glenn. Her cell phone rings. She quickly says "have a little bit of respect for the talent.  It's a text". Hilarious. Hid her hands a lot in the film because the are"quite girly".  Didn't wear men's underwear in the film.  (Just in case you were wondering.)

12:23PM Glenn Close:  Hawaiian jacket. "You are one of five...how could you possibly think of yourself as a loser. " Inspiring to hear how she got Albert Nobbs done. 1998 is the year she took out the first option on this movie.  You are awesome, Glenn. 

12:27PM Octavia Spencer: "It will hit me two weeks later and I will enjoy it......and I am a symbol of hope for all of the other actors that have been doing it as long as I have". "I've mauled everyone" since she's near Brad, Meryl, George. What was it like to maul George? That's what I wanted to ask. Behave. Didn't like people misinterpreting her words during the press junket process for The Help. It's tough, but a part of the process. Waiting for food. No alcohol until then. Smart lady. Sings "Oscar nominee" into the mic over and over.  

12:32 Kenneth Branagh:  First time at luncheon even though it's not his first nomination. Enjoys working with Dame Judi Dench. Emma Watson in her first grown-up role resonated with him. 

12:36. Berenice Bejo: speaks Spanish, talks about life in Argentina. Preparation the same as a film. Experience is different for audience. (I asked her whether it was different for an actor to prepare for a silent movie.)  Dress is done. "No, it's like Christmas. You don't say a thing". Guess we won't find out her Oscar designer today. Wants husband to like her dress. Today's dress:  Elie Saab 

12:39PM Jean DuJardin: Movie poster controversy question. Skip it says the moderator.  Yep, keep the questions conservative.  Oooooooo...French. Translator is here. The Artist is an LA film. Likes "energy, playing with extras, the food.". (Wait, playing with the extras??)  Back to French. Back to food likes cinnamon rolls. Not preparing a speech. He "wants element of surprise".

12:43PM Gary Oldman: Finally an Oscar nominee after all of these years. "it's a fairy tale". "I'm having a ball". He likes hanging out with Brad and George. Me too. Talks about Academy recognizing people in their 20's thru 80's. Interviewed Ben Gazzara about 5 months ago who just passed away.  "Oscar is better than the money. The villains are the one you do for money they"re expensive. They will be now." Yes, sir, they will....your agent will be happy too.

12:50PM Lady next to me is wielding an unwieldy pen. I'm wearing a DVF dress, watch out!

12:50PM Melissa McCarthy:  Everyone gets excited. Gorgeous in green. Gets teary-eyed looking at Oscar behind her.  Ah, I'm afraid she's going to burst into tears. No competition with her friend Octavia. Melissa is smaller in real life. No idea who her designer is, but she's wearing Neil Lane jewelry.

12:54PM Michelle Williams: Very Mia Farrow-looking today. So luminous. Oscar dress question. No dress yet. "should I have?". Her advice for other nominees?  "Bring a snack".  Word.  That is so true.  Oscar Day is a hungry day. Dress is awesome. Doesn't know designer of her dress today. So charming 

12:57PM Nick Nolte: He is sweaty and very red. Starts out with a joke. Looks like Santa Claus. I am just stunned. Tells a story about leaving a party at 5am and how he needs stricter rules. Story about Jimmy from Pittsburgh. Who is Jimmy?  I'm confused.  Still going at 1:02. PR Guy makes him shorten story. WTF???

1:03PM Demian Bechir: Like Javier Bardem last year, he gets big cheers. Handsome. He likes hanging with Brad and George too. They're like the cool kids in the club. First Mexican actor nominated since Tony Quinn. Spanish, blah, blah.....I catch every other word. Immigration debate continues due to subject matter on film. "it's a human issue, not a political issue". He's doing a play in Mexico. Flew in this morning. Everyone fighting to be the last question. He's popular.

Photo: Courtesy of A.M.P.A.S.