The streak is over. C'est fini. Finished. Like the two words that appear at the conclusion of every movie, "the end." What started on the red carpet a year ago ended on that same carpet last night. Cate Blanchett refused to straighten my bow tie.
I had shaken the hand she had offered. She was smiling that beautiful smile. I had looked into those piercing blue eyes. I thought I was in.
I asked her a question about the Oscar race. But when I suggested that previous film fest attendee, Jennifer Hudson, had a year ago adjusted my crooked bow tie and the next thing she knew she was walking onto the stage at the Kodak Theater to pick up an Oscar, Blanchett declined the invitation.
It's a good thing that they had an open bar at the post-party because I was going to be hitting the Chopin Potato Vodka pretty hard.
Photo Courtesy of Edhat
I thought I had something going. Like the students at Harvard who on their way to take an exam will be sure to walk through Harvard yard and touch the statue of John Harvard for good luck, I was hoping my bow tie would be a mandatory stop for every nominated actress. Somehow, Cate didn't see it that way. She wasn't going to mess with the fates and she certainly wasn't going to fuss over my neck wear.
And to think I bought a new tie for the occasion. I should have stuck with a cheap one.
As a result of the tie snub, I predict the Oscar goes to Julie Christie.
Well, if Cate didn't want to straighten my bow tie, somebody else sure did.
Photo Courtesy of Edhat
And no, that's not Angelina Jolie making an early appearance at the film fest but rather Olivia Wilde, one of the stars of the movie "Fix."
Once inside the Arlington I was able to quickly forget the bow tie incident as film critic Leonard Maltin and Blanchett explored her 11 year film career together.
When the discussion turned to her role as Katherine Hepburn in "The Aviator," Maltin mentioned that he actually had interviewed Hepburn. "How was that?" asked Blanchett. "It was one of the greatest experiences of my life," replied Maltin. Blanchett cracked back, "as good as this?"
On her playing of "Jude Quinn" a character thinly disguised as Bob Dylan, in the movie "I'm Not There" Maltin marveled about her ability to convincingly pull off playing a man and asked what the secret was. Blanchett said "it was that sock I stuffed in my underpants." Maltin replied, "whatever works, I'm results oriented." "Most men are," replied Blanchett.
At one point during the interview the sound of a siren from out on the street could be heard inside the Arlington. Blanchett looked around and said, "they're coming to get me, the acting police."
Actually, it was Santa Barbara's finest coming to investigate that complaint I phoned in about a beautiful actress refusing to correct an errant bow tie.
More photos from the crime scene, er I mean the red carpet last night, on my photo blog.
My favorite Cate Blanchette films.
Notes On A Scandal
The Good German
The Aviator
Hottest movie at the festival thus far, according to Roger Durling and several others; Beautiful Bitch. Playing today (Sunday) at 1:30 pm.
Weather forecast for Sunday; rainy and windy. Let's go watch some movies. Some suggestions:
The Fixer 1 pm Center Stage
The Man of Two Havanas 4:35 pm Metro Four (which features an appearance by local journalist Ann Bardach.)
A Room With A View 6:30 pm Victoria Hall
Bustin Down the Door 7:00 pm Arlington
Santa Barbara Experimental Shorts 9:30 pm Center Stage
A complete schedule of today's films is at Edhat.
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