John le Carré’s “A Most Wanted Man,” Philip Seymour Hoffman’s latest film, premiered at MoMA. It stars Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Brühl. Rachel and Robin showed. The two guys didn’t.
Rachel in borrowed multicolored gown to die for, borrowed Neil Lane jewelry. Robin, black pants, white T-shirt. Hissed Cinema Society host Andrew Saffir to me: “Not a T-shirt. A chic, trendy silk top.”
Everyone’s wardrobe fascinated me. Pirouetting to TV, an unfamiliar face and body in jazzy, bright flowered short shorts and matching top. Who’s that, I asked. “That,” hissed Saffir, is “Prince Albert of Monaco’s daughter, Jazmin Grimaldi.”
OK. Despite her outfit, no need to get huffy.
Robin: “I’ve seen the le Carré book sitting on a shelf, but never read it. We made this so long ago, I can’t remember much, including where we filmed.” She asked a friend, “Where’d we film?” The friend said: “Hamburg.” Added Robin: “I played a CIA agent. No dangerous stunts, but it was exciting that I got to walk around Langley. And how’s that for a closing line for you?”
Rachel: “We shot this a year and a half ago. Seven weeks in Germany, which I loved. I’d never been there before. Loved the food. The sauerkraut, schnitzel and that bread with duck fat butter. I play a lawyer representing people in court, and did a few stunts like a chase and climbing a ladder, and had a few scenes with Philip Seymour Hoffman, which were really great.”
Amid the clutch of celebrities — Mick Jagger, Calvin Klein, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Julianna Margulies, whose work schedule usually precludes premieres — Ellen Burstyn said: “Philip Seymour Hoffman directed me in something. We were close friends. He was deep, brilliant. And complex. A family man, he’d come to my country house to swim with his children. I loved Philip.”
Blossom forth
Once, live, on MTV, the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson said flowers on his colorful trousers were cannabis. Cindy Crawford: “What’s that?” With legal marijuana now as common as peanut butter, must be she’s wising up . . . SALMA Hayek: “I’ve lived in sin. I’m not a good Catholic. I strongly believe in condoms. Maybe sex is a sin, but if you’re sinning, sin properly with a condom.”
Food ‘stuff’
IF for Labor Day’s party you run out of bread crumbs, stuff your turkey with minced cardboard. Sounds silly, but airlines have been doing it for years.
Sandra’s video viewpoint
Sandra Bullock: “Never watch films on video. Screen-made films have subtle nuances — touch a hand, shift an eye — which sends the action in a different direction. With a distorted TV screen and third generation video, you miss that and don’t understand why the scene suddenly went that way.” . . . JASON Statham lobbying the Academy to create an Oscar for stuntmen.
Saturday, Columbus Circle, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., promoting “self-esteem and self-expression, wanting to share this with the public,” Andy Golub’s body painting 40 nude models outside behind the statue: “I’ve done this for years. We once had police arrests, but last summer the Civil Liberties Union cleared that up.
“It’s 30 artists. Not costly because a naturist organization provided 40 models. Making this interactive actually connects with the inside of a person. Even plus-sizes. It’s body acceptance. Positive energy. Art is an expression.
“The product is theatrical makeup, water-based, and could come off on clothes.”
And if the weather’s drizzly?
“Not good. The following Sunday’s our rain date.”
Shove Rembrandt. Fie on museums. If you can’t get into “A Most Wanted Man,” hit the Central Park entrance and watch somebody’s naked behind painted. NYC says it’s legal and the Parks Department issued a permit.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.