Even though it’s holiday here in America, the international film festivals are still going full force. Dakota Johnson was playing double duty at the Venice Film Festival this weekend, first premiering Black Mass on Friday, then spending Sunday doing promotion for A Bigger Splash. ABS is described as a “thriller” and it also stars Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts. It sounds… interesting. Anything that pairs Ralph and Tilda is going to be on my must-see list, so I’m very interested in this.
As for fashion, I can’t find the ID on Tilda Swinton’s pale yellow dress, but it’s very pretty and very un-Tilda-like. She usually doesn’t go for that kind of traditionally glamorous look. Dakota wore Marc Jacobs for the premiere (the long black gown) and Rodarte for the photocall (the floral). Dakota really is an emerging Fashion Girl and you can tell that she’s having fun with it and trying to explore who she is as stylish young woman, like what her “look” is going to be. I don’t think this Marc Jacobs look really works though – the mirrored beading/whatever looks much too heavy and Dakota’s hair looks sort of fried here. But! She looked really lovely and fresh at the photocall. If she’s still figuring it out, I’d say that she should stick to really simple styling with light, fresh makeup and go for very clean tailoring.
Ralph was beyond happy to be at Venice for some reason. He was literally dancing and posing his ass off at the photocall. Also: Matthias is really hot, right? Mm.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
That is really unfair and mean.
No one looks good next to Tilda Swinton.
Also Dakota gives me a Duggar-perm vibe with that hair.
No one good next to Tilda but she can’t make a twenty-something girl look 48! What a terrible look.
Dakota looks older than her actual age in some photos. I’d guess she were in her late 20s to early 30s. Her eyes look old.
The eye goes right to Swinton in that photo. Dakota Johnson’s dark hair and dress recede and you see nothing but Swinton’s pale from head to toe.
Swinton is such a star. Swinton forever!
Yeah. No. It really isn’t fair. I think I would have said that Dakota looks alright had the first picture featured been one of her and her alone. I would have thought she was channeling the 80s or something. She hasn’t hit any balls out of the park nor is she slumming. She looks okay. No harm. No foul. But the first pic featured is of her standing next to Tilda, who is wearing a soft, feminine & sophisticated looking dress (and one that I like). Side by side, it looks like Dakota is with her mom & wearing something a pre-teen would wear to her first late night dinner. I now can’t she Dakota without seeing her being overshadowed by Tilda. Sorry Dakota😔. You look cute, though.
Can anyone explain Tilda Swinton’s appeal to me? I know she is beloved here, but, *ducking* she kinda gives me the creeps. I don’t mean this as a dig, I am genuinely perplexed.
Sorry. I can’t help you there. I neither like nor dislike her. I just like the dress she’s wearing and think her “presence” in the pic overshadows Dakota. Could be her height & stature? Shrugs shoulders.
I will try and explain her appeal to me: she has a timeless beauty. I recently saw again the Nefertiti head sculpture in Berlin, and even though beauty standards have varied greatly over thousands of years, that sculpture is truly beautiful. I see the same in Tilda’s face – a very pure, unaffected, striking bone structure. She also has a great figure and can wear anything she wants, but she never seems to have a forced, overdone look. Rightly or wrongly, it always looks like she opened her closet, picked up something she liked and put it on, no team of stylists involved. (I may well be wrong.)
On top of that she is so talented, she can truly do anything, from snow queen in a kids movies to an immortal vampire. Few people have that range. And her with Ralph in Grand Budapest was fantastic, even though she had a small role.. I look forward to them together again on screen.
PS. She utterly eclipses Dakota, who is pretty but bland. Not understanding AT ALL her fashion girl image – her hair is always terrible and her outfits range from fig to blah. The only look I liked was the red Oscar dress.
She’s hilariously talented and has no f*cks to give about anyone’s standards. She’d probably be happy to know she creeps you out, haha.
As for her looks – she’s not conventionally pretty but she’s got a very interesting and unique look. Even if you think she’s ugly, you can’t help but stare at her. And the thing about these weird and unconventional looks is they don’t get worse with age. Conventional beauties come with an expiration date.
I’m with you, Cindy.
@vauvert,
Tilda was in Grand Budapest??? Who was she there? I loved that movie, have no recollection of her, makes me wonder how great her acting is, I can’t think of ANY movies I’ve seen with her.
I actually disagree with you, though: I’m not a huge fan of Dakota, but I think she looks very pretty here, much prettier than the washed out Tilda.
Timbuktu, she was the old lady. The fact that you didn’t recognize her meant she was good in her role.
Cindy, she’s known to play very odd sometimes theatrical characters. She’s like Gary Oldman, she’s known to disappear into the role. She was the witch in Narnia, evil matriarch in Snowpiercer (originally written for a guy), vampire in Only Lovers Left Alive, killer’s mom in Let’s Talk About Kevin, lawyer in Michael Clayton. She was also on that David Bowie video. She’s not playing the same roles.
Aren’t we going to talk about Matthais? I just saw him in far from the madding crowd this weekend, and spent the entire movie shouting at carey whatsherface- STOP IGNORING THE HOTTEST FARMER TO EVER LIVE. No way any intelligent woman would pick the flouncy soldier over this gorgeous man.
And Ralph looks Fiennes too.
(SNS)
I like Tilda but this look is a no. It washes her out. The dress,her face and hair are in the same color.
Pale overdose.
It does wash her out but it strangely it works. It’s pale overdose but it she still looks great.
agree. And normally i hate any nude colors. But she looks like she was born in it and went out of the sea foam like Aphrodite))
Actually, that color does the opposite of wash her out. Pure white would wash her out. This is a pale peach, which brings out the light delicate flush of her pale skin. How can people not see that? I see the ‘Oh it washes her out’ almost every time a woman wears a light color. In truth, if the light color is either a complimentary color, or a color close to one of their natural lip or eye color, it does the opposite of wash them out.
Dakota looks lovely in both dresses (love the first one)…don’t like the shoes in the second one. She’s a beautiful young woman.
Tilda looks the best ever. Even though she’s all the same color, it works on her.
Why is Dakota looking like Susan Sarandan in the header pic?
Ha, that same thought occurred to me. Probably 90% of the people here will disagree with me, because I’ve never found Susan Sarandon pretty but do find Dakota Johnson to be. Still, I see the resemblance in that pic.
I like the premiere dress, I would really love it if it wasn’t off the shoulders. The hair and make up are nice too.
She’s raised her shoulders to an unnatural level so it looks odd. In the print dress, her shoulders have a more attractive natural slope. Posture, Dakota!
Every time I look at Dakota, I think about how actors’ children sometimes play younger versions of their parents in movies where both star. Dakota couldn’t do that because Melanie has had so much surgery that she’s unrecognizable.
A Bigger Splash is a remake of La Piscine, one of Alain Delon’s best movies. I have no desire to see it but I hope it’s a hit so they finally release a solo DVD of La Piscine
Thanks for pointing this out! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. The trailer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-Y_6pnkN20) reminds me of the classic French movie awfulness it involves — love quadrangle, philosophical staring, supposedly meaningful non sequiturs…
I’d be curious to see how they make this work with these actors in an anglophone context (so Dakota Johnson plays the Jane Birkin role and Tilda Swinton the Romy Schneider one?). Found a clip of the new movie (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZA3tXUcQM), so you can judge. I’m not a Tilda nut, but it is wonderful to see her play an average woman (as opposed to something costumey, I mean). So much bubbling under the surface!
Also how is this Schoenaerts guy in everything all of a sudden? He’s Chad Kroeger, people!
The curly hair (if it were red) recalls her mother in the Working Girl era, without the stringy tails.
I love Tilda the colour might not be right but the dress is fab. All I can say on Dakota is she sure gets a lot of work I have never seen her in any film so not sure how good she is but..good for her I suppose.
Dakota Johnson appears more confident in her dress (which I like) with Tilda Swinton by her side. Perhaps she was soaking in Tilda’s residual. TS is gorgeous. As always.
Tilda looks like a goddess.. walking among us for a short time then she will ascend back to the heavens..
I can’t see anyone else but her
Well Ralph made me a fan, lol. Gotta love when a man poses hard like its a Sears catalogue photo shoot.
Dakota’s whole look, I mean her face, hair everything, is very 80’s.
I’m just so used to seeing women like Amber Heard or Megan Fox on screen that I’m not used to seeing average looking women in movies but it must be a thing now as actresses like her, Jennifer Lawrence and Shailene Woodley get more popular. Interesting!
They are all rather basic. Truthfully
OMG TILDA!!!!
Love, LURVE DJ’s shoes at the photocall.
I never seen her work and i know it’s all nepotism but there’s something compelling about Dakotas face that would make me interested in watching her on screen I think.
Its weird how Amber Heard is technically more stunning but Dakotas seems to have a more expressive cinematic face. It’s her eyes I think.
Love Mathias, so hot!
I agree. Some women have compelling faces whether they are technically beautiful or not. Meryl Streep has that ‘something’ as does Dakota Smith.
@ Hannah and Crumpet Totally agree with you two. Perfect beauty doesn’t make for a compelling screen presence (at all). Dakota has an interesting face, there is a potential for vulnerability and emotion there.
Dakota is so oatmeal to me. Just don’t feel her at all.
I agree. Like a lot of these “biz” folk, I don’t feel there’s a chance in heck she would have had a prayer in the business without her parents. Although, I never thought her mother was half the actress people have made her out to be either. Of course, Melanie’s mom was famous too so… Lol yeah…
ita so basic and oatmeal
it looks like tilda brought one of her assistants with her
Her makeup and hair look good, the dress is a no.
Tilda is such a stunningly beautiful woman! I remember seeing her many years ago in the film Orlando (where she played both female and male roles). The epitome of androgynous beauty. She’s truly one-of-a-kind.
Swinton looks horrible. Sometimes I think she goes out of her way to look horrible for some reason. I don’t get all this Tilda love. Never have.
Dakota…well, I’ve never liked her at all, but I think she looks good in these pics. Her hair is better and the dresses are youthful and appropriate.
Tilda looks lovely. Kind of wish that dress had been red, though. Dakota bores me to flinders.
Dakota’s hair is the definition of budget. Until she fixes those greasy, lifeless strands in front it’s all going to look budget as hell.
Tulsa is divine.
I prefer her with dark make up, it makes her features pop more otherwise she’s just quite bland.
The first pic I thought it was Susan Sarandon and tilda…then after I read and saw no mention of Susan realized it was Dakota. The dress does her no favours
Dakota is looking like she always does for me. Pretty but painfully boring. It’s hilarious to see her next to the alien goddess Tilda is.
Standing next to Tilda make almost everyone look ordinary. If that slit was on the side, I think I would like Dakota’s dress better. I don’t hate it.
The Alien Vampire Queen forever!!! Tilda, slay those basic young girls, if you please!!!
Dakota looks like her mamma in these pics. She is basic but doesn’t offend me…prefer her to the eternal mouth breather.
I think this is the best I’ve seen Dakota look. She’s showing a glimpse of that something “extra”.
I agree… I LOVE this look on Dakota… it’s the first time she’s appeared “striking” to me. Simply rocking it, for once. LOVE. Photo call dress is lovely daytime look.
Matthias!!!!!
*faints*
I don’t like the Susan Sarandon hair on Dakota. I’m just like, huh? That dress is modern and awesome and that hair is a big NO.
Yes, I thought it was Susan Sarandon when I glanced at the photo. The dress is a bit 80s, like they sewed on whimsical buttons to it, but it’s great as a whole look.
I don’t know why, but I do like Dakota, and I like both dresses on her. Just those red shoes with the short one are somehow wrong. Never seen her as an actress, though. As for Swinton, I never understood what people see in her. She’s just pale from head to toe, and surely interesting looking, but that’s it.
While Dakota definetly got a foot in the door because of her parents she has some talent. She did manage to get away with being almost the only good thing in 50 shades according to reviews. Jamie Dornan on the other hand did not have the talent to rise above that shitfest!
look at cumberbatch, or Emma Thompson actors who are so beloved on this site. Both come from privileged families, had the most well connected schooling and have actors as parents. I think Americans like to have a go at nepotism in their on country but are forgiving if it comes wrapped in a plummy British accent. Most of the current Brit pack is extremely privileged and well connected.
Cumberbatch and Emma Thompson have done Shakespeare and are actually theatrically trained. Dakota Johnson could not pull off Shakepeare if her life depended on it. The only reason people talk about her is because FSOG was a pop culture thing and she was willing to act in a crappy movie. Since the book was so poorly written the fact she came off as less irritating than the “inner goddess” stupidity of the book, which was a case of lowered expectations.
Once the FSOG movies are done, she will appear in a few other things, but ultimately just be another starlet fading to obscurity.
Despite the famous parents, there is no charisma there and it’s not like she is the best actress of her age.
Yeah, Cumby and Thompson are great and talented actors in their own right. Dakota was the better half of FSoG, and her portrayal of the character had a tiny dose of depth and was not completely annoying like the book versión. She honestly impressed me, but it was because my expectations were rock-bottom low.
It’s not like I dislike Dakota, though. She seems harmless and maybe in an actually good movie she’d get to show more acting chops.
I like Dakota’s dress and hair. It’s an improvement from her other red carpet looks.
I dont understand why do grown-up actors need to hold hands on the red carpet. Like they are scared.
Tilda is the undisputed queen of androgyny and I LOVE it when we see her more feminine side, she is beautiful and her posture SLAYS! How do people function around her? I’d just want to stare at her and marvel at how extraordinary she is.
The film should be good too with a cast and director like that. I am love was TS’s last collaboration with this director and it was a brilliant film, she spoke fluent Italian throughout and looked divine in Jill sander for nearly 3 hours! Swoon.
I’m so puzzled by all the praise for Tilda. I find her so unfortunate looking: pointy features, lack of color… I understand that her unusual looks can be interesting for certain roles, but Goddess? I don’t want my actresses all the same, mind you, I’m actually all about embracing the flaws in each other, I like a lot of unconventionally attractive actors and actresses, I just kind of feel like when it comes to actors, instead of embracing the flaws, we turn around and proclaim them flawless as well. In my eyes, Tilda is very much flawed, but if she makes me laugh and cry and think, then who cares.
I think Tilda and Dakota both look great. Tilda is always elegant and I like the monochromatic look. She can pull off almost anything. Now Dakota’s dress—I love. It’s quirky and I’ve never seen a dress like it. I would wear it myself if I could fit into it.
Also, it’s nice to see the usually dour Ralph Fiennes being a goofball.
I love Dakota! She looks beautiful with this hair. Glad she did change it up a bit!
Tilda wins at everything. just the best
With the curly hair, she’s giving me Susan Sarandon vibes!
Still, that note of awesomeness-by-proxy notwithstanding, I also prefer her with the simple hair and that great floral dress with the mandarin collar. So pretty!
I really like Dakota Johnson because she reminds me so much of one of my extremely beautiful daughters (neither of whom look anything like their mother). 🙂
I couldn’t get through all of FSoG but Dakota Johnson was absolutely the best thing about it. The thing is, she was *funny*!! She can do comedy!! She was legit funny in the role, not playing it like she couldn’t stand to be there, just playing up the moments of awkwardness and unintentional gaffes that the character makes. For the 45 minutes I could stand to watch that film, I thought, I’m looking forward to seeing this actress in a *good* movie.
You should check out the tv show Ben & Kate. It’s not on anymore (unfortunately), but it may be available on Netflix or something. She starred as Kate, and was very funny & charming in the role. I like her. 🙂
thanks for the rec!!
Dakota is GORGEOUS. My goodness.
Dakota is very beautiful, but wavy, light colored hair doesn’t suit her. And yes, she’s got tired eyes.
The guy dancing made me cringe.
Ralph, you dance like it’s a Death Eater’s party!
This is how to have FUN with movie premieres!
I generally find most girls look better with natural makeup but not Dakota. She’s by no means unattractive natural, but the dark makeup is amazing on her. Gorgeous.
Dakota Johnson can do no wrong in my book. I think she is so lovely. The Rodarte look is great but I like the Marc Jacobs look too. Tilda Swinton looks stunning as always.
I can’t even see Dakota in the second photo. All I see is matthias’ blue eyes hypnotising me. I want to switch places with her
Those are some generous Dad Jeans on Ralph.
Tilda!!!! Omg. Flawless!