The Venice Film Festival began this week, and I’m just trying to highlight some of the bigger names and bigger fashion moments so far. The first night premiere was for Madres Paralelas, and it’s clear that the festival sent out an all-points bulletin to every model in the area, because they all came out. I suspect most of them were already in town for the Dolce & Gabbana event over the weekend. Meanwhile, Helen Mirren – who was also at the D&G event – wore D&G for the opening night premiere. I love a metallic dress so I enjoy the gown, although I kind of think Helen looks kind of too conservative and prissy in such a high neck. The headband adds to the prissy feel, right? The look is “glamorous tightass.”
Barbara Palvin and Sara Sampaio wore Armani Privé. Palvin’s architectural gown would probably work a bit better on someone who really owned it, you know? Like… I could see Nicole Kidman in it. Sara’s gown is just kind of meh.
Penelope Cruz wore Chanel and I LOATHE this. It looks like she’s wearing a dust ruffle underneath a dress she ripped.
Meanwhile, Benedict Cumberbatch and Kirsten Dunst are in Venice to premiere The Power of Dog. Excuse me, when did Bendy go back to being gingery and hot? It’s been a while and he looks beautiful. I really mean that!
Photos courtesy of Getty, Backgrid and Avalon Red.
I don’t like the headband at all. It’s unflattering and reminds me of a preppy 80s schoolgirl.
The dress is cheesey. Yuck
That look is definitely giving me “Tinfoil Glamor” vibes.
Separately, I think aging in an industry that is obsessed with appearance and always looking for the next hot thing must be a special kind of hell.
Queen Helen of the Island Nation of Fuckingfantasica.
She is Queen Helen. She can wear what she wants. She has earned it!
I completely agree. She rocks everything.
I love Kirsten Dunst, she was the star of my youth that I’ve grown up with. Interview with a vampire, of course bring it on (still recite the opening cheer all the time) Virgin Suicides (the book and movie I just had on repeat).
On Becoming a God in South Central Florida was amazing and I totally agree with comments she has made in the past that she has been an underrated actress, she brings it to you every ball. She is wonderful and I hope this movie brings her the recognition she deserves as it’s already getting a lot of buzz.
I’m really rooting for her too! She’s very underrated.
I kind of like Helen’s dress, but wish it wasn’t D&G. Nicole Kidman or Charlize would rock that Armani, I agree it needs a bit more confidence.
Always GLAMOROUS for this beauty!
She has aged so gracefully up until now – WTF with that facelift?!?!?!?!
I, too, wondered why she looks so different.
Helen Mirren gets to wear whatever TF she wants. Even if it’s a sparkly princess dress. I don’t hate it and she’s still got the figure to pull it off.
Helen Mirren’s dress reminds me of the Barbie Dream House dress Blake Lively wore to some event recently. I love sparkle and glam, but this is overdone. It looks tacky, IMO. But, we are talking about Helen Mirren – she can wear whatever the F she wants and she owns it! Love her!
Helen’s hair isn’t great. She looks great in the dress, but the color is wrong for her and I think that it washes her out.
Agreed. She needs a much sleeker hairstyle for that dress, and any curls need to be defined, not messy waves. The dress is beautiful, even if I would get tired of carrying around that train!
I like Helen Mirren but this is NOT a good look from head to toe. I think she shouls have teased out her hair and worn something less ill fitting. The color of the dress is a big no for me too.
Dress is meh but the hair is just awful. I’m not an ageist about hair length but she rocks short/shorter hair.
Yes at our age we can’t have long locks like that. We need something that makes our fave look a bit fuller
I like both Armani gowns, but the way they’re wearing them is what’s prissy to me, like they’re advertising the dresses instead of adding any personal character.
Penelope Cruz looks like she’s wearing a 50’s hostess apron.
I don’t think Helen looks conservative at all – it’s kind of daring to have all that shiny going all the way up to her face. Most would just have a shiny skirt or a low cut top, but Helen went for the full bling and I think she looks great.
I think the whole look has let her down. The headband makes it look like she forgot to style her hair- it comes off as the equivalent of a hat hiding a bad hair day. A little bit of lurex goes a long way- it’s just way too much! Take away the sleeves and the train. She ends up looking like someone spray-painted her with silver paint.
Her face looks…tight. But I still love her.
Yes, Helen can wear whatever she wants. I get it. However, she looks terrible in this dress. So yes, she did wear it, but it did her no favors. It highlights her belly, sagging breasts (yes, they were fantastic in their heyday), and the lack of lip color (red please!). This in an epic fail. Since she doesn’t do the filler/plastic surgery stuff (which I’m fine with), at least get the hair and makeup right as well as the dress. Helen, you can do better.
I think the exact opposite of you. The dress is fabulous and it makes me wish I had her figure. But I think her lips have definitely got some sort of filler or something going on and that spoils the look.
I think Penelope Cruz’s dress is kind of tragic and her make up is a bit goth. It’s as if the designers kept trying to improve the dress by adding more elements to it (shoulder ruffles, bows, slits, white panels) because it wasn’t pretty enough, until they finally just gave up.
Helen Mirren’s dress is unfortunate and even she can’t save it. It’s a pity because she always seems to have such fun w/ fashion usually makes things work. This time the color (and make up palette) definitely washes her out. Also, gold and silver are notoriously unforgiving because they show off every bump, bulge, and any undigested sausage. The hair also seems like a last minute choice. Both women are attractive and have great figures, so if they can’t manage to look great I think the dresses are fails. And it’s not even a matter of “Well, maybe the dresses would look better on someone w/ another kind of figure.”
Did Dame Helen get tweaked?
Something looks…different.
Funny, I was thinking that Penelope Cruz looks different somehow… It might just be that she’s got a little tiny bit more weight on her than she used to. But it could also be cheek implants. There’s just something going on.
I love the dress on her. She looks great!
Cumberbatch is always hot to me. My god that Chanel dress. My mother had those as underlays in the 80s..I
Bendy! 😍
I can see no pictures of B. Cumberbatch and am sad about that.
BC was Hot as Sherlock w/dark hair and curls, very hot as Dr. Strange, I will watch BC.
Gosh, so much criticism toward other woman appearance in this comment section!
Agree. Sad.
So it’s completely fine for celebs to keep wearing D&G, even if their dress makes you look like a million year old sea witch?
I really like that 60’s detail on the neckline, waist and sleeve length, but the colour of the dress is washing her out. In conjunction with the pulled back hair and not having any lifelike colour in her face, she should be very cross with her stylist for this look.
Maybe Penelope Cruz had already used all of the make-up and there wasn’t any left for Dame Helen?