Oscars Review 2012

I don't know about you, but I am still in happy shock about "The Artist" winning Best Picture last night at the Oscars. Personally, I loved that movie, but there was no way I thought it would win the big prize, plus the other awards it received. That pretty much made my night . . . well, that and getting to look at so many pretty gowns.

So, let's get started on the important stuff, shall we? To begin, in no particular order, here are the dresses I liked but didn't make the top three.

Octavia Spencer

She won! And that was fabulous. Almost as fabulous was her gorgeous beaded gown. Ms. Spencer got two very important things right with her gown - fit and color. Both complimented her beautifully, and so she glowed in all sorts of ways last night.

Jessica Chastain

Another "The Help" cast member showed up looking beautiful. Fellow nominee Jessica Chastain chose a strapless black gown with gold embroidery. Dressing as a redhead can be difficult, but Ms. Chastain looked lovely.

Glenn Close

Not going to lie - I really, really wanted Ms. Close to win last night. That's nothing against Meryl Streep, but I think Ms. Close deserved it more. Plus, she came in the better gown. I love the deep green and the wonderful train.

Michelle Williams

I feel like Michelle Williams' gown is a departure from her usual look. She still kept it simple and went for an unusual color, but there is a lot more going on with this gown versus her other red carpet looks. For one, the gown is almost completely backless {though you can't tell from this photo}. One reason I typically like Ms. Williams' looks is because she tends to stay covered up. But I almost feel like this is an homage to her nominated character's look in "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend." So, in the end, I like it.

Cameron Diaz

I'm still a bit on the fence about Cameron Diaz's dress. When I first saw it, I didn't like it. But the more I gazed at that crazy train{haha}, I started to like it a bit more. I may change my mind again tomorrow, but as of right now, I think its interesting details along the bottom do enough to win me over.

Emma Stone

All I can say about Emma Stone's dress is that I really liked it. But the first time I saw it. In 2009. On Nicole Kidman. Who wore it better. Sorry, Ms. Stone.

And now for my top three gowns of the night. Ready for this? Here we go on the modest gown count-down.

Shailene Woodley

This was such a surprising choice for such a young girl {I think she's only like 20}. But I loved it! It combines my favorite things in a gown - it's monochromatic with interesting details. Plus she's covered up and still looking sexy.

Sandra Bullock

I don't always love Sandra Bullock's red carpet gowns, but I really liked this one. I'm a bit frightened that there may be no back, but from this angle, she's rocking a gorgeous modest gown. I think black and white can be a tricky combo to pull off sometimes, and the thing that really makes it work is the killer beading at her shoulders but especially around her mid-section.

Maya Rudolph

My number one pick was a surprise to me, but as soon as I saw it, I knew this was it. Which also may have been what Maya Rudolph thought when she first saw this dress. No surprise - I love the color. It's one that always seems to look good on the red carpet. Plus, the beautiful beading on her sleeves and belt continue on to cover the entire top section of the back of the dress. What nailed it for me is that I would wear this. And feel gorgeous doing so.

And lest we forgot the manlier side of things, thank you, Colin Firth, for looking so dashing, as you always do. Well done.

Until next year . . .

{Thank you MSN Wonderwall for the pictures.}