Styles & Scenes

Eastwood's ready for the Oscar battle

Atten-shun! At ease, soldiers.

It was a gathering of all the young dudes and all the old dads at the premiere of “Flags of Our Fathers” at AMPAS in Beverly Hills.

Producer/director Clint Eastwood, producer Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Paul Haggis stood at attention with Paramount honcho Sumner Redstone on the red carpet. Better watch out, guys, he’s tough. If your box office body count isn't high enough, he might toss you off the lot.

Despite not-so-flag-waving reviews of Eastwood’s first film in his patriotic WWII epic two-parter, Monday's audience response to the potential Oscar-running film was loudly enthusiastic and quietly respectful. But maybe nobody really wanted to “make his day.”

Two “Flags” stars Neal McDonough and Barry Pepper, who served in Spielberg’s other war epics, “Band of Brothers” and “Saving Private Ryan,” did  their red carpet duty. Also showing up for inspection: Joseph Cross, Timothy Olyphant, Paul Walker, Adam Beach and Eastwood’s son, Kyle Eastwood.

But Ryan Phillippe was MIA. Maybe he didn’t want to battle the rumors about his troubled marriage to Reese Witherspoon. Nyah,I’m sure he had a really good excuse to miss the big night.

He could have been on location in Morocco or Texas shooting “Stop Loss” (also known as the Untitled Kimberly Pierce Project). Phillippe stars in the modern-day war drama about an American soldier who returns from Iraq and refuses to return when ordered to go back.

Now there’s a war movie whose time has come.

Photo Credits: Two old war horses, Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg band together at the LA  premiere of  "Flags of Our Fathers. "
Lester Cohen/WireImage

De Beers vs Bushmen: who will win the bling PR war?

Diamonds - a staple of Hollywood award season attire - are having a rough time lately.

De Beers recently mounted a massive PR campaign to educate consumers about how good diamonds are for Africa and the efforts to control and/or eradicate the sale of "conflict" or "blood" diamonds.

Now the international diamond cartel has hired some hot new corporate communications guns, including one exec head-hunted from a global pharmaceutical company called AstraZeneca.

Judging from that company's recent problems, I'd say De Beers got themselves an expert corporate spinner to help them fight the negative publicity expected from Warner Bros’s “Blood Diamond” (Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou and Jennifer Connelly) that focuses on the link between diamonds and bloody civil wars in Africa.

But someone else has joined the fray.

Last week the Kalahari Bushmen of Botswana took out an unprecedented large ad in Variety, asking for help from DiCaprio. In the ad, Bushman Roy Sesana wrote: "Friends have told us that you are in a film, “Blood Diamond,” which shows how badly diamonds can hurt. We know this. When we were chased off our land, officials told us it was because of the diamond finds. Please help us, Sir. We know you are a famous and respected man, and that if you speak up for us many people will listen. We just want to go home, and hunt and gather and live in peace like we have always done."

And on behalf of the Bushmen, Survival International has asked Linda Evangelista to step down as the new face of De Beers. Don't laugh. SI already has Colin Firth and Julie Christie on the Bushmen's side. Christie has said, 'Diamonds as the cause of misery and suffering are not a thing of the past. The Bushman evictions in Botswana are a clear demonstration that local people are still suffering because of these stones.” And SI already convinced supermodel Iman to step down as the face of De Beers a few years ago.

That said, Iman is married to David Bowie and is very wealthy in her own right. Good luck getting Linda to turn down that big fat spokesmodel contract. The early ‘90s era supermodel, who once bragged that she didn’t “wake up for less than $10 grand a day,” now has a.. how shall I put this, slightly less stellar modeling career. 

Gosh, this Hollywood diamond war is getting so exciting. Will the Bushmen of Kalahari make a trip to Hollywood? Can the displaced tribe and their celebrity supporters  persuade A-list actresses to boycott the bling and not wear dazzling diamonds to awards shows?

Hey, these dudes have already taken out an ad in Variety. I’d say anything is possible.

Photo Credit: Leo and Djimon star in "Blood Diamond," the movie about conflict diamonds financing bloody civil wars that has De Beers execs shaking in their designer boots.
Jaap Buitendijk/Warner Bros. Pictures.

Who had the better bash? Scarlett or Ben?

There was a real Hollywood flashback this week with the premieres of “The Black Dahlia” and “Hollywoodland,” both held at the Samuel Goldwyn Theatre in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills.

Both period movies deal with unsolved Hollywood deaths, the brutal murder of a wanna-be actress named Elizabeth Short and the strange suicide of TV’s “Superman” star George Reeves.

But there was no comparison between the films’ after-parties.

The rumblings at the low-key “Dahlia” post party in the main lobby of AMPAS ranged from polite congrats to Scarlett Johansson- wearing a Chanel frock and a Streisand do-  and her on-and-off-screen beau Josh Hartnett to one woman loudly announcing “I want that two hours of my life back!” and getting quite a few “Me too” responses. Director Brian DePalma didn’t bother to stay for the bash. And Hilary Swank, who was one of the film’s hilarious highlights, was also a no-show.

But the “Hollywoodland” bash at the historic Beverly Hills Hotel was a far more upbeat, lavish and star-studded affair. The party was poolside with lots of bouquets on tables inside cabanas, white coated waitiers, cigarette girls, a brightly lit “Hollywoodland sign,” displays of Chopard jewelry (including Reeves' watch seen in the film) and half a dozen vintage cars deposited stars in front of the hotel.

Not only were all the film's stars in attendance - Bob Hoskins, Adrien Brody, Robin Tunney, Diane Lane and others - but Ben Affleck, who plays Reeves, brought his wife Jennifer Garner, his brother Casey, his pal Matt Damon with his wife, Luciana Barroso.

It was nice to see the best buds -  who burst on the Hollywood scene in ‘97 with “Good Will Hunting,” grabbed a Best Screenplay Oscar and made headlines by dating two hot actresses Gywneth Paltrow and Winona Ryder -  now look like mature, happily married family men. What a difference almost a decade makes.

It was clearly Ben’s big night. The actor was affable, charming and relaxed, the way he was pre-J-Lo, just hanging with his friends and family, chatting with well-wishers and even talking to reporters about the role that some partygoers were dubbing his “comeback.”

“It’s a great role and that was obvious to me from the start," Affleck admitted. “George is an icon, but a tragic figure, a kind guy and a sad guy. He represents one thing to the nostalgic consciousness of the American TV watching audience. And now they get a chance to see his perspective on the show and it's quite different from what you’d expect.”

But he was also relieved that he’d managed to dump the pounds he packed on to play Reeves. “At least I’ve finally lost all that weight. It would have been so embarrassing to show up at the premiere, five months after the film was shot and still be carrying all that around.”

Producer James Schamus could not be more pleased with Ben’s performance, which some insiders say could nab him a Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.

“Getting Ben was the luckiest thing that has happened to us in a long time,” said Shamus. “This guy is a gem. And not only is he a fine actor who is also a movie star but he’s one of the most intelligent and the kindest guys in this business.”

“We’d heard that Ben was interested in the role and we just kept coming back to his name,” explained director Allen Coulter. “He was so right physically. He also has an aura about him and he’s very charming. There were a lot of names on the table but when I met Ben for breakfast, it was Game Over. I met him that morning and had lunch with Diane (Lane) and I called Focus and said,"They're who I want. There’s no point looking any further.”

The "Hollywoodland" premiere party, sponsored by Chopard and Volkswagon, also drew almost every Hollywood Old Timer who was still mobile: Mickey Rooney,  Eva Marie Saint, Jerry Mathers (“Leave it to Beaver”), Cyd Charisse, George Takei (“Star Trek”) Lesley Ann Warren, Loni Anderson, Peter Graves, Robert Culp, (“I Spy”) and Ann Rutherford as well as Ed Harris, Amy Madigan and comedian Kathy Griffin.

Even Jack Larson, the actor who played Jimmy Olsen with Reeves in the original “Superman” TV series was on hand.

And the old folks haven't lost their sense of humor. They roared when Shamus introduced the film that night by saying, "This is a film that I think celebrates our Hollywood heritage and values; debauchery, greed, paranoia, substance abuse and adultery, all the things that make us special.”

But the highlight of Coulter's night was hearing how much Larson/Jimmy Olsen loved the movie. The men discussed the Mannix mansion and the Reeves home. Coulter explained that the Reeves house was not the real one, but a similar house whose owners let the filmmakers reconfigure it to match the Reeves layout. Larson, who had been to George’s house many times, was impressed by the accuracy of houses, the acting, writing and what he called “the compassionate portrayal of George.”

“That’s a nice thing,” said Coulter, quietly, after Larson left.  “That means a lot. I mean, he was there. He knew George.”

Photo Credits: The "Hollywoodland" bash at the Beverly Hills Hotel was the hot party this week.
WireImage/Eric Charbonneau
Photo Credits: A stunning Scarlett Johansson, with another grizzled old-timer director at low-key "Black Dahlia" premiere.
WireImage/Jeffrey Mayer
Photo Credits: The Matt and Ben Show is back on! Hey, how about an Oscar race this year?
WireImage/Eric Charbonneau
Photo Credits: No more famous couple carpet antics. Ben Affleck sticks close to his nice-and-normal wife Jennifer Garner outside the AMPAS  Thursday night
WireImage/Eric Charbonneau
Photo Credits: "Hollywoodland" hotties Diane Lane, Adrien Brody and Ben Affleck. Will they nab a trio of nominations?
WireImage/Eric Charbonneau

Will "Blood" kill diamonds at the Oscars?

Is the international diamond industry getting really, really, really nervous about the impact of "The Blood Diamond” on their Christmas and Valentine’s Day gem sales?

You bet. Almost three months before  the Warner Bros film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimoun Hounsou, is due for release (Dec. 15), the World Diamond Corporation has launched a major offensive campaign with a big ad in large newspapers (and on their website) explaining that the "conflict" or "blood diamond" problem has been solved.

The ads mention the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, a plan put in place to certify a stone's origins, insuring that no conflict stones enter the marketplace. The KPCS is currently under review with results on the program's effectiveness due out this fall.

Why is the WDC trying to fend off criticism so early? Have they seen any film footage? No, according to studio sources.

But the diamond industry seems to be shaking in their bright shiny shoes, worried that consumers will believe that conflict diamonds are still being smuggled and sold. Or worse, that they will read about the stones being a viable currency funding international terrorist forces  such as Al Qaeda  and Hezbollah.

“If they want to educate the public, that’s great. The more information on conflict diamonds that gets out, the better,” says a source close to the film about the WDC's pro-active ads.  “Unfortunately, their ads do not tell the whole story, that, despite their attempts to police their industry, there are flaws and loopholes in the Kimberley Process.”

Amnesty International and Global Witness still warn of ongoing inadequacies in the diamond industry’s ability to curtail or control "blood diamond" sales.

Whatever happens to the diamond market, it will be interesting to see how A-list actresses will cope with questions about their bling in December, when "Blood Diamond," and other Oscar hopeful films, are released.

Here's a sampling: Did the jeweler who loaned you that million dollar necklace mention how many people had their hands hacked off for it? How do you feel knowing that your pretty ring could have funded Hezbollah? Or that those fabulous chandelier earrings may have bought arms for Osama?

May I suggest that any Oscar-hopefuls planning on wearing diamonds on the carpets have a prepared answer to these inevitable questions, along with the notes on who designed their gowns and made their shoes.

Otherwise, they'll risk looking stupid, vapid and uninformed. And that sure won't help an Oscar campaign, now will it?

Photo Credits: Thanks to "Blood Diamond," diamonds may not be as prevalent in the 2007 Awards Season. Even Teri Hatcher, selecting a ring at the Diamond Information Center's Pre-Oscar Suite at the Soho House last March, may think twice about bling.
Wire Image/Amy Graves

How to look red carpet hot! Or not....

Poor Kathy Griffin.

Her garish clown-face at the recent Emmy Awards was a major makeup disaster that could so easily have been avoided.

If only she - and, let's be honest, a few other Emmy attendees with overdone, poorly blended makeup - had gone to the L’Oreal flagship boutique in the Beverly Center.

All they had to do was step into the store’s custom-built “immersive light environment,” aka the Light Pod, a cubicle-sized white room with mirrors and switches.

Inside, with just the flip of a flip of a switch, the actresses could have checked out their makeup in various lights, from a soft candlelit dinner to a dimly-lit club all the way to the retina-searing revelations of the red carpet.

Inside the Light Pod, any woman can instantly see how essential blending and correct color selection is for walking the red carpet. Just press the 'Red Carpet' button and prepare yourself for a shock. Every flaw, every wrinkle, every red spot (past, present and future) is visible with the flood of flash. Slightly crooked lip liner, smudged eyeshadow, harsh blush?  Your face looks like a billboard of makeup blunders.

There's no charge to use the room and check out your face. The most commonlyused settings are 'Daylight', 'Overcast' and 'Open Window.' The L’Oreal girls will even give you a how-to tour.  But if you want a makeup artist to do your makeup inside the Light Pod at a particular setting, it costs $30 and takes about an hour. Best to call ahead 310-360-6555 to sked.

But here’s the really cool part.

Say you’re meeting friends at a hip Hollywood nightspot and you really wanna look hot, like ‘Dude-I-so-gotta-get-her-number’ hot.

The L’Oreal makeup artists can flip a switch from their "Hotspots" lights such as Lucque’s, Spider Club, Koi, The Belmont, Concord, A.O.C, The Bel Age, Eye Candy or Geisha House. Then they'll make you up accordingly.

Doing a double or triple-header? You can make sure which nitespots you're guaranteed to look good in and steer clear of the rest. “No, I don’t wanna meet you at Koi. And don’t ask me why.”

Since hotspots go in and out of style faster than hemlines go up and down, new clubs are being added. And sadly, some will be deleted, depending on whether Lindsay and Nicole are still showing up.  “We’re updating all the time,” explains L’Oreal’s Erin Doolan. “We’re going to get Mood, Joseph’s Café, and I think Teddy’s.”

How does L’Oreal duplicate the light levels at these happening spots?

“They go there and use some kind of light measuring machine, and capture the light levels and then put it into a computer,” says Doolan. “Some really smart people do it.”

Let’s just hope some really smart actresses – like Tyra Banks, who stopped by L’Oreal’s Light Pod a few weeks before the Emmys – will use the Light Pod during the next Awards Season.

Photo Credits: Perhaps better lighting would have helped Kathy Griffin's harsh Emmy face.
WireImage/Jeff Mayer
Photo Credits: Clearly, Tyra Banks found the perfect light for her winning Emmy look.
WireImage/Steve Granitz

Lindsay wins Zit War, sets Emmy party fashion trend

Even though Lindsay Lohan was recently scolded by a studio head for staying out late, partying like a rock star and being rushed to a hospital (again) for dehydration, she still manages to look fantastic.

How does she do it?

First off, she’s young. At that tender age, everyone bounces back fast, even after a week of late nights.

Plus she has major hair peeps, makeup artists and stylists who keep her looking good, even on two hours sleep. Heck, she can probably get in some shut-eye sitting in the chair while they work their hair/makeup magic.

Natch, rumors are that her "glow" of late is due to her new love interest, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino heir, Harry Morton.

Now Harry's cute and all. But the truth is, it's the zit cream.

Seems the once-troubled skin star is now endorsing the anti-acne line called Proactiv Solution, a line she claims to use faithfully. And she's even on the pimple-fighting line’s new national TV advertisement.

But it's not as low rent as it sounds. Past Proactiv endorsers include Kelly Clarkson, Jessica Simpson and Diddy. Yes, that Diddy.

“My skin, thanks to Proactiv, is clear all the time,” chirps Lohan on the infomercial. “Proactiv heals acne, but the best thing is that it’s super gentle, so it works every day like skin care. That’s how I use it, and it works.” 

Keep using whatever detox stuff works, Linds. Cause you're gonna need spotless skin for the upcoming Emmy party scene.

If Lindsay's Emmy party line-up is as crowded as her last Oscar bash sked, she'll be one busy fashionista. On Oscar night, Lindsay wore a different frock to three Oscar post-parties, setting a new Awards Season quick-change record.

Will Lindsay's Oscar fashion show spark a new trend? Will we see other young actresses pulling a Lohan and wearing a different dress - perhaps a Chanel (not vintage, thanks), an Armani, some YSL, a piece of Prada and a decadent Dior - to the TV Guide, EW, ET/People and HBO Emmy after-parties? 

It's highly possible. One Hollywood style insider mused, "That's a lot of frocks for just one night. But who knows? It sounds totally insane but when you think about it, its a great way for these girls to satisfy several designers and not offend anyone."

And if those nasty "pay to play" rumors are true (actresses being financially compensated for wearing designer dresses to awards shows and parties), it's also a great way to make a few extra grand so you don't have to stoop to doing zit cream infomercials.

Photo Credits: Is Harry Morton the cause of Lindsay's glow? Or is it her Proactiv pimple cream?  We may never know. But her skin is on high beam at the Saturn Vue X-games party on August 2
WireImage/Barry King

Santa Barbara gets awards happy

Last year the Santa Barbara International Film Festival was the best place to see Oscar nominees such as George Clooney, Heath Ledger and his "Brokeback Mountain" costar/real-life love Michelle Williams, Phillip Seymour Hoffman and scads of other hot Oscar-nodded writers, producers and directors.

Will next year be as star-studded? You betcha.

"The pressure is really on now after last year,” admitted Roger Durling, SBIFF executive director, at the Fest's Inaugural Award for Excellence in Film given on Sunday to Kirk Douglas at a glitzy black tie gala fundraiser held at the Bacara Resort.

Durling will make picks based on films and performances he sees at Toronto and Telluride film festivals. So has he seen anything he likes so far? “I have but it’s just too early to talk about it.”

But by December, Durling will be talking and making his picks for the various SBIFF honors (Modern Master, Riviera, Breakthrough Performance, Montecito and Attenborough Awards) that will probably be bestowed on some 2007 Oscar nominees. “We’re announcing a month before the Oscars and we open the festival the week after nominations are announced,” Durling explains. “Last year, the nominations were out on a Tuesday and the following Friday, George Clooney was up here accepting his Modern Master Award.”

But enough about Oscars. Durling is also excited about the possibilities his new summertime Awards Gala will open up...

Photo Credits: George Clooney talks about life, passion and movies, at his Modern Master Award at the 2006 SBIFF
WireImage

Will "Sunshine" heat warm up Oscar voters?

Isn’t it a tad early to be talking about a summer sleeper that could get Oscar attention in 2007?

Nope.

Insiders are already buzzing about possible Oscar nods for “Little Miss Sunshine” and its all-star comedic cast: Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carrell and Alan Arkin, and fresh faces Paul Dano and Abigail Breslin.

The film, which got audience raves at the recent Los Angeles Film Festival, opens July 26. And many predict that “Sunshine” will duplicate surprise summer sleepers such as “The Full Monty" and “The Sixth Sense," both small movies that did big box office and got major Oscar nods.

In 1998, “Monty” won an Oscar for Best Music, Original Music or Comedy Score and was nominated for three more little gold men, including Best Picture.

“Sense” got six nods in 2000, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment) and Best Supporting Actress, none other than “Sunshine” star Toni Collette.

“Sunshine” could definitely follow that path. The quirky black comedy about a dysfunctional family’s road trip to fulfill a little girl’s dream has a fairy tale back story. Five years in the making, it was snapped up at Sundance by Fox Searchlight for a whopping $10.5 million, making it the most expensive movie ever sold at the fest.

Searchlight President Peter Rice explained to the trades why they wanted co-directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris' "Sunshine" so badly: "The film got a rapturous response (at Sundance). People broke into applause during the movie, and people were crying and laughing. For first-time directors, the film is made with such an assured hand."

Collette, who knows first hand about sleeper success, did her part to get Oscar buzz going for "Sunshine" this week by making a stop at the Australians in Film screening at the Harmony Gold Theatre.

“I love this movie! Thank you so much for coming to see it,” the Aussie told the packed house, including actresses Peta Wilson and Sean Young, New Line’s “Snakes on a Plane” producer George Woud, “Kinky Boots” actor Joel Edgerton and his brother Nash, “Wolf Creek” director Greg McLean and some top casting folks such as Deborah Aquila (“The Shawshank Redemption”).

Reactions at the post-reception were two thumbs up. Sometimes four. "I could already see this movie a second time," admitted one AIF member.  Another one asked, "Can they rewind it and show it again tonight?"

The Australians in Film group has some pretty impressive ambassadors such as Mel Gibson, Nicole Kidman, Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett, Hugh Jackman, Baz Luhrmann, Naomi Watts and Russell Crowe.

But it also boasts scads of lesser known members who are voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (think Oscars), the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (think Golden Globes), BAFTA/LA, and the Directors, Screen Actors and Writers Guilds.

Come time to fill out awards ballots, don't think voters won't recall Collette making time to stop by the AIF Monday night "Sunshine" screening before racing to an important dinner meeting. Voters also won't ignore that the "Sunshine" directors, Kinnear, Arkin, Dano and little Abby Breslin all posed with their yellow VW van at the Los Angeles Film Fest's closing night premiere. 

Photo Credits: The directors and cast of "Little Miss Sunshine" take their act on the road and pull into the Los Angeles Film Festival on July 2, 2006
WireImage/Jordin Althaus

Photo Credits: Toni Collette - seen here at the February "In Her Shoes" DVD launch and charity shoe auction - introduced "Sunshine" at the AIF screening/reception on July 17.
WireImage/Gaye Gerard

Hollywood braces for "Blood Diamond" War

Get ready for the big "Blood Diamond " PR War between Team De Beers and Team Zwick.

Nelson Mandela will act as a spokesman for the international diamond cartel to  defuse any negative publicity caused by Ed Zwick's new film “The Blood Diamond,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Connelly and Djimoun Hounsou, due out in December.

The film, a fictional tale, is set during the all-too-real ‘90s decade of African civil wars when rebel armies seized control of diamond mines, traded conflict diamonds for arms and murdered, raped and mutilated thousands of innocent people.

The film’s barely finished shooting but the World Diamond Council has already asked Zwick, the film’s producer/co-writer/director to add a disclaimer at the end that puts the nasty rough diamond trade in the past and the current industry in a better light.

Honest, those creepy rebels with nasty amputation habits are gone. Today's mining conditions are way improved and diamonds are now carefully documented thanks to the Kimberly Process, a voluntary industry agreement made in 2000, which tracks and certifies the movement of rough diamonds.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International don’t buy it. But if you do, I’ve got some great New Orleans property near some lovely new levees you might also like. Zwick’s response? He gave it to E! Online yesterday.

A bitter battle is clearly brewing. But how will Team De Beers, headed by Mandela, do against Team Zwick? Let’s compare the players. Ready for their turn at bat are the “Blood” actors, all politically active and involved with a variety of humanitarian causes.

DiCaprio is outspoken about ecology and global warming issues. His website was redesigned and launched in 2004, the same year he joined the boards of NRDC and Global Green USA. Hounsou was born in Benin, near Niger. He participated in Amnesty International’s Live for Darfur concert series last fall. It's safe to say that he has strong opinions on the illicit diamond trade’s impact on Africa peoples. And Jennifer Connelly was just named Amnesty International USA's (AIUSA) Ambassador for Human Rights Education last winter.

But Zwick may also have a trump card, an actress who could give his team an unbeatable hand....

Keira Knightley takes the plunge

One of Oscar nominee Keira Knightley’s fave British designers - Jenny Packham - will have a special fashion show in Los Angeles in October, just in time for  2007 award season shopping. The show will be sponsored by BAFTA/LA.

Packham, who usually parades her wears on London and Paris runways, has been dubbed "the first lady of partywear" by British Vogue, who certainly should know.

No doubt a few of her fervent fans like Nicole Kidman, Mandy Moore, Kate Moss, Mena Suvari, Brittany Murphy, Heidi Klum and Scarlett Johansson, who just wrapped the new Woody Allen film "Scoop" in London, will show up for Packham's show.

Knightley and Packham just worked together on a photo to aid Fresh2o, a campaign to promote WaterAid, which provides African and Asian communities safe domestic water supplies. In this eerie underwater shot by aquatic photographer Candice, Knightly (gulp) manages to hold her breath beautifully in a frothy cream Packham gown.

Just so you know, Knightley, who walked the red carpet wearing white Chanel at Saturday's premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" at Disneyland, flew back to jolly old England the very next day to keep filming Ian McEwan’s “Atonement,” which has, to say the least, an impressive female cast.

On the "Atonement" roster: Emily Watson, Brenda Blethyn, Vanessa Redgrave, Kristin Scott Thomas and... Betty White.

Yes, that Betty White, best known for playing sexually voracious Sue Ann Nivens on the '70s TV series “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and for her loveable ditzy Rose on the early ‘90s  hit series, “Golden Girls.” Who knew?

Photo Credits: Keira is a bathing beauty for charity in a Jenny Packham gown.
Courtesy of WaterAid.