l'oscars!

And the winners are:

Freida Pinto in John Galliano: Not much of a surprise that Freida wore one of my favorite looks again. I love the deep blue color of her gown, as well as the subtle sari allusion. I've heard complaints that the sleeve and the beading are a bit Mother of the Bridey, to which I say, check out the original runway version (scroll a few dresses down into the post). That's about as distant from Mother of the Bride as one can get. I think that the alterations that made the dress more red carpet appropriate were beautifully done. And, as always, Freida is just plain hot.

Marion Cotillard in Christian Dior: More beautiful blue. More gowns modified from the runway. This Dior gown was gorgeous and sheer in its runway presentation, but the alterations turned the dress into something far more wearable without losing any of that Dior magic.

Anne Hathaway in Armani: Certainly not life-changing, but it's hard to go wrong with this classic beaded champagne gown.

Natalie Portman in Rodarte: I had a crayon in this exact shade when I was little. It was called "Thistle." Love.

Tina Fey in Zac Posen: Tina Fey is a beautiful woman, and though I've seen her look fantastic at red carpet events, this is the first time I've ever seen in her in a dress that I thought truly did her justice.

Penelope Cruz in vintage Pierre Balmain: This is just about as classic and elegant as you can get.

Tilda Swinton in Lanvin: I love the SWINTON. That is all.

Honorable Mentions:

Amanda Seyfried in Valentino Couture: The color of this Valentino gown is outstanding. Amanda Seyfried positively glows in this persimmon dress, and it certainly sets her apart from the other celebrities in attendance. The necklace is a bit of an unusual choice, but I think it works. However, I am not wild about her shoe selection. I find them distracting and out of place. Actually, the shoes are the only reason that she wasn't my absolute favorite of the night.

Jennifer Aniston in Valentino Couture: Hallelujah! Jennifer Aniston wore something that isn't black! Don't get me wrong, I love a black dress. But Aniston's red carpet appearances were starting to remind me of Groundhog Day. She looks stunning in this pale Valentino number, although I have mixed feelings about the hair. I enjoy braided details (and occasionally full-out milkmaid styles), but the style feels a little out of place on a woman in her 40s.

Evan Rachel Wood in Elie Saab Couture: Love the dress. Love the makeup. A little iffy on the hair.

Viola Davis in Reem Acra: The lovely Viola Davis looks amazing in this gown. Her skin is luminous, her hair and makeup are perfection, and she just looks generally great (not to mention the fact that she looks far younger than her 43 years). And though the dress is flattering on her figure, I have an intense dislike for the color. Perhaps it's because of the lighting, but the back and forth between gold and pewter hurts my eyes. It's just too much. However, I must admit that this may just be one of those gowns that doesn't photograph well, but looks fantastic in person.

Marisa Tomei in Atelier Versace: I have a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Marisa Tomei. Obviously, she was fantastic in My Cousin Vinny, but it can't have been fun trying to live the Oscar screw up rumors down. So I was thrilled when she was redeemed with her nomination for In the Bedroom and then with this year's nomination for The Wrestler. I'm just pointing this out because if the woman attended a red carpet event in a potato sack and bunny slippers, I'd probably find some way to defend her choice. But this Atelier Versace gown needs no such crazy justification. It wasn't my favorite look of the night, but the layers and pleats and folds are just so gorgeous. I've been staring at them for so long that I'm starting to go all Magic Eye and am seeing 3-D unicorns frolicking along her train.

The young stars of Slumdog Millionaire: Cuteness abounds.

And the What Was She Thinking? Award Goes to:

Jessica Biel in Prada: I know that Miuccia Prada is a genius. And even when I don't particularly like her clothes (which is rare), I can at least appreciate them. But I just can't get behind this dress. Jessica Biel may have made Vogue's Ten Best Dressed List for the Oscars, but I find the gown boring and very much resembling the bedsheet dresses that young starlets tend to wrap around themselves post-coital in romantic movies (seriously, who really does that?). Plus, the hair. My first thought when I saw Jessica Biel was, "That's what my hair looks like right now. I really need to take a shower." It's the Oscars, woman. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.