The National Board of Review gala begins Oscar’s relay race. Always January. Always Cipriani 42nd Street. Always big stars. The event gives good scrimmage. It’s bosom-to-bosom with VIPs, CEOs, PRs and BS.
Shivering, freezing Jessica Chastain, at the icy doorway coatless, in a snug black dress: “Having this experience, being talked about, is impossible to believe. I struggled so long. I trained at Juilliard, worked really hard, did TV, lots of odd jobs, but nothing ever broke for me. Only the last two years it’s happening. I’ve treated myself to nothing but, now, maybe, a vacation. I’d like a spa.”
Anne Hathaway. Her black Saint Laurent pantsuit was refrigerator size — sub-zero. “My biggest ‘Les Miz’ challenge was the hair. Getting it chopped off. I knew it had to go. Knew it was necessary for the character. But I had a physical reaction. I started trembling. I doubt I’ll keep it this way.” About her maybe Oscar? “Too early to discuss that but . . . if . . . I’d give it to my mother to keep.”
In jeans and sneakers schlepped a schlubby schloomp. Someone whispered: “Michael Moore.” Someone else whispered: “So? He’s too leftish to care about.”
Ben Affleck: “Warners sent me ‘Argo’s script. Best thing I ever saw. All else I’d read was s – – t. George Clooney’s production company controlled it, so there was a two-step process. I told him how I’d do this, how it would work. It wasn’t what I’d been doing, so I loved being able to stretch and grow. I’ve seen Jordan, Africa, Middle East. In college, I’d taken Middle Eastern studies. Arabs and Israelis is what I knew. But I was terrified. This was a large-scale risk.
“Look, I struggled when I started. With this one, I busted out and it ended up successful. What I did was, I just put my head down — and focused.”
Unwilling to speak, Daniel Craig, fleeter than in “Skyfall,” rushed past. If his mouth wouldn’t open, I figured I’d shut mine until the dinner’s sirloin got served. A pox on him. I didn’t rush after him.
The evening triggered a study in backsides. Emily Blunt’s curvy one in tight beige was not blunted. Hathaway had none. Chastain’s was tiny. NBR president Annie Schulhof’s was thinner than the Oscar: “I work at it. I eat no meat, nothing with four legs. And aggravation helps.” Unlike most others, Angela Bassett actually owned her Thayer gown, in which her rear was slim and trim. And there was John Goodman, who said: “After ‘Argo,’ I do ‘The Monuments Men’ in Alberta, Canada. Playing an architect after World War II. All political films. Must be they don’t want me for moon June spoon romantic comedies.”
Emcee Meredith Vieira looked well. Sleeping late and dissing the “Today” show did good for her.
Something little, hands in his pocket, wafted by. Word was: “He’s Tom. The kid from ‘The Impossible.’ ”
Silver-haired Emmanuelle Riva from the foreign language “Amour” followed. My French doesn’t go beyond “Croissant, si’l vous plait,” and she spoke not a word of United States.
Bradley Cooper. “My earliest screen test was for ‘All My Children’ or ‘One Life To Live’ or whatever they called Kelly Ripa’s soap opera. Who knows what they were trying to turn me into? I remember most they kept blow-drying my hair. I was maybe 25, and my action called for kissing a girl. Ohhh, I was so nervous.” He’s too rich to be nervous now. We hugged. The coat was cashmere.
John C. Reilly also recalled a first audition. “1988. In LA. A videotape about the casualties of war. I was alone. And nervous. I not only got the part, they recast twice, and I played one of the leads.” And now? “Always reading scripts. I get more scripts than I can handle.” A presenter for the evening, he arrived with his blue knit tie at half mast. It stayed at half mast while he presented.
Amanda Seyfried in a multicolor sheath: “The dress is Bottega Veneta. I do not get to keep it. Know how I treated myself after I finally finished ‘Les Miz’? I finally finished a little alcohol. You can’t drink when you sing. So when I stopped having to sing, I started being able to enjoy myself.”
Vanessa Redgrave. Gray coat, gray blouse, gray scarf. “I don’t even know where I got them all or where each of the parts came from. The whole outfit is bits and pieces. My son-in-law gave me the lovely scarf. Right now I’m just sort of getting over a little bronchitis and rehearsing for a new play.” Oh? How nice. And what’s the play and when does it open? “I really don’t know.”
Someone pulled me to Sixto Rodriguez, whom I hadn’t met from the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” which I hadn’t seen. Kindly, senior, dark straight hair longer than Kate Middleton’s. A Detroit musician, one year ago he lived with a wood-burning stove. Now, sitting near DiCaprio and Kathryn Bigelow, he says: “This is my first such event. Last month I did 12 gigs in Europe. I’m playing 5,000-seaters. Next it’s London on a bill with the Rolling Stones.”
There was Eddie Redmayne, John Krasinski, presenter Harry Smith, director Tom Hooper. Some came late. Josh Brolin, of whom we have recently heard, was listed. Him I didn’t see.
Not a bad evening.