You can criticize Natalie Portman for a lot of things, but she has excellent taste in costars. Natalie has had a long-gestating project languishing for the better part of six or seven months. The project is a western called Jane Got a Gun, and Natalie is not only the star, she’s the producer. One of Natalie’s first costars to sign on was none other than Michael Fassbender, because of course. I heard a few weeks ago that Joel Edgerton has also signed on to the film, and he’s incredibly hot too. And just last week a new addition made the casting rolls: hottie Rodrigo Santoro. The problem? Apparently Natalie used to date Rodrigo (which I have no memory of) and she was the one to recommend him for the job. And Natalie’s husband Benjamin Millepied is NOT happy.

Natalie Portman may be thrilled about her new costar in the upcoming film Jane Got a Gun, but her husband isn’t! Natalie’s handsome leading man, Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, 37, is an ex (he dated the star in 2009). When Benjamin found out that it was his wife who suggested Rodrigo for the role (she’s also a producer on the film), he was “livid,” says an insider close to the couple.

“Natalie and Rodrigo are going to be in close quarters and spending a lot of time together.”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

Oh, I just found the old story – CB did it back in 2009. Natalie was in between steady boyfriends after her split from Devendra Banhart and she was rumored to be swinging between Rodrigo and Ryan Gosling!! Damn. I forgot Natalie had such a torrid dating past. If I had to choose between Fassbender, Edgerton and Santoro… um… ooooh… wait, what? I mean, I would definitely pick Fassy first and always, but Joel and Rodrigo are both incredible choices too. What was the point of this story? Oh, right. Benjamin. He should be worried!!

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

When I first glanced through these photos of the NYC premiere of Playing for Keeps – that awful-looking Gerard Butler/Jessica Biel rom-com – I really disliked Jessica Biel’s everything. But upon closer examination… I’m not a total hater. Jessica is doing something to those tragic bangs for SOME of her red carpets, and while I’m not in love with this current hairstyle, it’s a vast improvement from the shaggy dog crap she’s been sporting off the carpet. You can actually see her face, and… yes, she does have a beautiful face. The girl’s personality is like oatmeal, but her face and body are gorge. As for her dress… she’s wearing Versace. Again, I’m not in love with it, but it’s a great color for her and it’s not offensive. I think it would be better without the belt? Or is that hideous thing built into the dress?

Uma Thurman looks gorgeous. I love a woman in a well-cut pantsuit.

Oh, hello Rodrigo Santoro. I see you, baby. Shaking that ass. Mama like.

Gerard Butler is so gross. I’m actually starting to get embarrassed about my old crush on him. That being said… this is probably the best he’s looked in a while. The hair looks good, his face isn’t bloated and his weight isn’t yo-yoing anymore.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

When I think about Kate Upton, I have to remind myself that she’s just 19 years old. I keep assuming that she’s in her mid 20s like most of the other bikini and lingerie models on the scene. Along with being very young, she’s used to wearing next to nothing for her job all day. She’s modeling bikinis, not clothes. Still, I’ve been astonished at how poorly dressed and styled she’s been on the red carpet. This is a woman with a figure to die for and gorgeous face. It doesn’t take much to make her look like a million bucks.

So here she is at the amfAR gala in tiered puffy Louis Vuitton with a black and blue ribbon criss-cross pattern. Um, I think I can see through the bottom part of the bodice to her foundation garments. Her bra is also peeping out of the top. Plus she’s paired it with very puffy hairstyle that seems to mirror the unwieldy skirt. You know what this reminds me of? One of those crochet toilet paper covers from the 70s. It’s just so bad. Even her shoes are unflattering. Get it together, girl.

Paris Hilton was also there for some reason, trying to work a long white gown with a see through side panel and a diamond pattern along the front. In some of these photos, I see some humor, gratitude and humility in Paris’ eyes. It’s like she knows she’s no longer hot sh*t and is glad she’s at a big event and getting her photo taken. I like this side of her a lot.

Then she falls back on her signature squinty haughty look and I see the same old Paris. Paris has overaccessorized with diamond and emerald earrings, a bracelet and a necklace. She should have gone with less jewelry.

On Paris’ level we have British Formula One Heiress Tamara Ecclestone in a ridiculous tiny lace and rhinestone mullet dress. Look at the way the trail ruffles up at the waistline. The top is partially see-through and I think I see her nip. To top it off she wore her giant fake hair on the side, and paired the look with gladiator heels. If you’re not familiar with who this is, Tamara is the sister of Petra Ecclestone, who just bought Candy Spelling’s massive home. Tamara has a home in West London worth $70 million, and is a fameho in her own right.

As a palette cleanser, let’s just have some Rodrigo Santoro. I’m usually not into scruffy guys, but he does it for me so much.

Imagine this face peeping out the bathroom door, telling you he’s ready to go out. *sigh*

photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet

Last night was the premiere of What to Expect when You’re Expecting, that ensemble clip show romcom that looks really cringe worthy. I doubt it will be a big success at the box office, but I could be wrong. It could be a mommy daddy date night movie, which it was probably pitched as. Battleship and The Dictator are also out next weekend, and Avengers will probably still be holding on strong, so we’ll see.

So here we have some of the main stars of the film, minus Jennifer Lopez. Why was J.Lo not there last night? Was there some last minute drama with Casper forgetting to take his ADHD medication? I’m really surprised that she wasn’t around, trying to work an inappropriately small dress with a cutout around the waist and styled to the hilt like she’s in one of her music videos. She’s done a lot of press for the film so it’s bizarre to me that she didn’t go to the premiere.

Instead we have Cameron Diaz, dressed way down in a open comfortable-looking white top and loose black pants. She looks like she’s wearing a waitress uniform at a decent restaurant. This is one of those nice-looking casual outfits you throw together for a night out and then realize that you’re dressed exactly like the wait staff, so you try to hold it in and not get up to go to the bathroom. It’s a perfectly nice outfit for a night out with friends, but I don’t think it’s fitting for a premiere. She could have chosen one of those tight short dresses that show off her killer legs.

Cam recently talked to Access Hollywood about growing older and how she thinks it’s cool. Unlike some other actresses I won’t name, it doesn’t sound like she’s blowing smoke. This is a woman with the world at her feet who is secure in her own super-fit skin. She even says she loves her ass, basically. Here’s more:

“I love getting older,” Cameron told Access Hollywood’s Shaun Robinson of turning the big 4-0 at the “What To Expect When You’re Expecting” junket in Los Angeles on Friday. “I think it’s such a blessing.

“Look, the alternative to getting older is [being] dead, so…” she trailed off with a laugh. “I feel very fortunate to have a very full, loving, blessed life, so, I’m living it to the fullest.”

Beyond the obvious benefit of aging, the blond beauty said she’s savoring the mental and spiritual growth that occurs naturally with added life experience.

“As I get older, I become happier — because I’m wiser, I know myself better [and] I connect to people better,” she explained. “I think that in our society we don’t honor older generations enough because we think of it as being bad because the appearance changes.

“I say, embrace it. I love getting older, I love everything that comes with it — I’m better in every way because of it,” she continued.

Cameron is known for her legendary bikini body and she admitted her physique is improving with age.

“My ass is definitely higher than it was when I was 20,” she told Shaun. “This is the thing that people don’t understand — take care of your body [and it will] get better! It gets better as I get older. Absolutely.”

[From Access Hollywood]

Cam’s philosophy seems to be that if you’re not getting older you’re dead, so you may as well embrace it. I like that approach. Does “taking care” of your body in Cam’s world mean getting a little jab here and there? Just askin’.

Meanwhile the other stars of What to Expect also looked kind of beat. Brooklyn Decker was in a white tube dress like she was having dinner seaside after a day at the beach.

Elizabeth Banks was in this beaded asian-style flower print and striped accent dress. This is Peter Pilotto, and it would have been a much better choice for her Met Gala look instead of the disaster of a dress she chose. It’s a little too busy for the red carpet.

Rodrigo Santoro just looks lickable.

What’s going on with Chace Crawford’s eyebrows? Have they always looked like that?

Chris Rock and his man scarf. He would look way cuter with shorter hair and a full goatee.

Photo credit: Fame and WENN.com

In yesterday’s Jennifer Lopez story, I mentioned that I was looking forward to her new post-Marc Anthony phase, the part where she gets involved with someone big and scandalous. I mentioned Ben Affleck, because there have already been rumors, and because I would genuinely think it was funny if there was a revival of Bennifer 1.0. I get that the idea of Affleck and Lopez upsets people, but seriously, I will never understand the urge to treat Jennifer Garner solo – or Bennifer 2.0 – with kid gloves. They’re just like every other celebrity couple – perhaps with even more quiet scandals than most. Anyway, the tabloids are ignoring the Ben Affleck thing this week, probably because there are new photos of Jennifer Lopez working on the Atlanta set of What To Expect When You’re Expecting, where she’s working with Rodrigo Santoro, also known as “that hot dude from 300 and Love, Actually”. You can see a photo here – that was enough for several stories about how Rodrigo is helping Jennifer “move on”.

Jennifer Lopez was seen talking “intensely” to a tall, dark-haired man in a dimly lit parking lot. He put his arm against the SUV, leaning closer to her, “so close that if she’d moved her head a few inches, their lips would’ve met in a kiss.”

It’s hotter than ever in Atlanta, Ga., now that Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro have begun shooting scenes for their new movie, What To Expect When You’re Expecting. An on-set source says sexy 35-year-old Rodrigo is making her forget all about her ex, Marc Anthony.

“There is amazing chemistry between them,” the source tells Life & Style. “Jennifer can’t get over how hot Rodrigo is.”

And is it any wonder why J. Lo is drawn to Rodrigo? He’s the complete opposite of her controlling ex Marc!

“Where Marc was always trying to hang around J. Lo and manage and manipulate and swing deals, Rodrigo is easygoing and not threatened by her,” the source divulges. “He’s a good guy — he reads a lot, is very smart and just oozes sexuality.”

A source says Jennifer and Rodrigo “were shooting a scene where they were on a date, and the whole time it was impossible to tell what was part of the scene and what wasn’t.”

Besides giving each other “love taps” between scenes, J. Lo and Rodrigo have also been spotted hanging out alone in her trailer! And a friend of J. Lo tells the mag she wouldn’t be surprised if the single songstress decides to take things to the next level with Rodrigo.

“Jennifer doesn’t like to be alone,” a friend tells the mag. “She likes to have a man around, and Rodrigo is exactly her type!”

[From Jezebel’s Midweek Madness & Hollywood Life]

Us Weekly, meanwhile, says that Jennifer and Rodrigo have been “bonding” while Jennifer “is reveling in her newfound independence.” But it could be a ploy, and if it is, it’s working: “Marc is suspicious of anyone, especially a hot guy she is working with. It drives him crazy.” Another source says, “He can’t let go. His mood shifts from blaming her to begging her to take him back to telling her she is destroying his life. He’ll call her to apologize and then get mad and call her names.” Sources close to Jennifer “insist” that Jennifer was never unfaithful to Marc, but they also say that the littlest thing Jennifer would do would set Marc off: “Marc was paranoid she was having an affair.”

Jennifer can and has done worse than Rodrigo, who is absolutely gorgeous and reportedly a really nice guy. But I just don’t think he’s “big enough” for J. Lo. She needs to go big, and I mean fame-wise, money-wise, etc. I hope she doesn’t go for some backup dancer-type. She has before. In any case, Jennifer’s rep denied the Rodrigo story to Gossip Cop.

Oh, and In Touch must not have gotten the memo about Rodrigo, because they have her trying to get with Gabriel Aubry. ZOMG! Halle Berry will try to eat J.Lo’s face if that ever happened. Now I really want Gabriel and Jennifer to happen. It would be so amazing!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Natalie Portman, 27, is one lucky woman. She’s said to have been dating Brazilian heartthrob Rodrigo Santoro, 33, for the past month. Gorgeous Canadian Ryan Gosling, 28, would also like a chance with Portman. Earlier this month, there was a rumor that the two had been casually dating for a few weeks. So which is it, Natalie, are you choosing Ryan, Rodrigo or keeping your options open? In Touch has the story:

Since splitting with rocker Devendra Banhart in September, Natalie Portman has not just one, but two suitors trying to win her heart. She has been dating Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro “for about a month. They are trying to keep a low profile, but he is a very sweet guy,” says a friend. Ryan Gosling, after splitting for a second time with Rachel McAdams, is also very eager to date the 27-year-old. “Ryan is texting her all the time and asking her to hang out,” says the friend. “He’d really love to be seeing her, too. Nothing has happened between them yet, but he certainly hopes it will.”

[From In Touch, print edition, March 9, 2009]

Natalie goes for dark-haired South American guys with scruff. She was last dating folk singer Devendra Banhart, who is Venezuelan-American, and had an on-off relationship with hot Mexican actor Gael Garcéa Bernal for a while. I think she’ll stick with Rodrigo, which is definitely not a hardship. It’s a shame for Ryan, though, who is also a real catch. There are plenty of women who will be happy to know that Gosling is still single. In the mean time I would love to see Portman settle down. It’s early in the relationship and she’s young, but I can’t help but think of how cute her kids with Rodrigo would be. She has plenty of time yet.

Rodrigo Santoro is shown on 2/17/09, 1/23/09, and 12/15/08. We don’t get enough photos of this guy. Natalie Portman is shown at the Oscars and Ryan Gosling is shown on 7/8/08. Credit: WENN.com

Benicio del Toro, Franka Potente and Julia Ormond were among the stars representing the film Che at a photocall in Cannes today. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, Che is actually two films in one, Argentine and Guerilla and lasts a whopping four hours and 18 minutes. Most critics are raving about the film and Del Toro’s performance, and say it’s a front-runner for the top prize at the festival. Che depicts the overthrow of Cuban dictator dictator Fulgencio Batista, and has plenty of battle scenes and action.

41 year-old Benicio del Toro is Che Guevera. German actress Franka Potente, 33, plays former Stasi operative Tamara “Tania” Bunke Bider, the only woman to fight with the rebels under Che. You may know Potente as Jason Bourne’s love interest, Marie, in the first two Bourne films or as Lola in the 1998 German film Run Lola Run. She’s a great actress and I’d love to see her in more Hollywood movies.

Also shown are Julia Ormond, Rodrigo Santoro, Catalina Sandino Moreno and director Steven Soderbergh. Thanks to WENN for these photos.