Al Pacino and David Mamet were huddled on

Al Pacino and David Mamet were huddled on a couch as Spike Lee and Meredith Vieira sat nearby listening. At Warner Bros’ fancy private dinner for its nominees at the Bel Air Hotel, Nicky and I were greeted by David Heyman. Executives Sue Kroll and Juli Goodwin brought us over to Sandra Bullock and CEO Kevin Tsujihara. Again, everyone whispered, “Who is winning Best Picture?” Gravity's technical wizardry, revered in L.A., was now thought to have the edge. Spike Jones arrived and was too superstitious to discuss his chances for Best Original Screenplay for Her. He won. Don't worry about Blue Jasmine fellow nominee Woody Allen; he was tap dancing with Susan Stroman on Broadway, rehearsing Bullets Over Broadway. As a man who doesnt believe in campaigning for awards, he just might show up to collect a few Tonys. An exhausted Alfonso Cuarén was the last to appear, with girlfriend Sheherazade Goldsmith. He was fighting a cold and couldn't wait to get back to real, not reel, life. Brad Grey’s party for Paramount’s nominees was in full swing at Spago Beverly Hills. The Wolf of Wall Street’s Marty Scorsese was huddled in a booth with Brad, marketing maven Megan Colligan, producer Irwin Winkler, and the ageless Don Rickles. Jonah Hill’s buddy Leonardo DiCaprio had just left, as he was getting a cold too, but he later showed up at the Bel Air, where Marty was staying, to have drinks & “ a al Cannes, was finally over. with Scorsese and Cuaron in the bar. Nebraska talent Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, cinematographer Phedon screenwriter Bob Nelson relaxed Papamichael and since their grueling nine-month campaign, which had begun at hale Ron vice chairman of Universal, Meyer, had his annual private / party at his Malibu home EB — inhonor of Graydon Carter. Barbra Streisand, Jim Brolin, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, if Diane Lane, Robert Downey Jr., and Paul Rudd mingled under a tent with interior designer Sandy Gallin and his new husband Bryan Fox. Ron's daughter, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, came alone. It was nanny’s night off, so her husband Tobey Maguire stayed home with the kids. Larry Gagosian gave his 17th Lara annual art opening and dinner, Spencer which is always a hot ticket for the rich and hip. This year, art photographer Taryn Simon mounted a show titled “Birds of the West Indies” after the seminal taxonomy by ornithologist James Bond. The exhibition also chronicled the women, weapons, and cars depicted in the Bond films, in addition to the birds that appear in all 24 movies. Even MGM couldnt dream this up. Dinner followed next door at Mr. Chow’s, complete with Eva and Michael Chow. Simon’s filmmaker husband Jake Paltrow brought his mother Blythe Danner and his sister Gwyneth. Since the Spielbergs and the Paltrows are close family friends, Kate Capshaw arrived with Theo and Sasha Spielberg. Jared Leto came with Terry Richardson. Adrien Brody, Elle Fanning, Cameron Diaz, John Waters, and Robbie Robertson chowed down. Power collectors Eli and Edythe Broad and Bill and Maria Bell split chopsticks. After dinner, we migrated to Gagosian’s home. It was raining, it was windy, and it was cold. Teetotaler Robbie Robertson slipped on wet stone outside the house. He was taken to the hospital that night and endured a two-hour operation on three broken ankle bones. Simultaneously, Nicky Haslam slipped onto a glass table | * and crashed to the floor. Nicky was fine; < the table was a goner—so much excitement for one night. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28 Woke up this morning and the eye problem had reached epic proportions as my left eye was now shut. Found an eye doctor to lance the infected eyelid. He gave me enough drugs to get me to the Publicist Guild lunch at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. a Lifetime Achievement Award from Jerry Lewis was receiving Carol Burnett. Thankfully, I only needed one eye to take all that in. At her uncle’s Rodeo Drive store, Roberta Armani toasted fellow Italians Marty Scorsese and Paolo Sorrentino. The suits Leo wore in The Wolf of Wall Street were designed for him by Armani himself. Paolo Sorrentino was the overwhelming favorite to win Best Foreign Film for his Fellini- inspired The Great Beauty, and indeed he won. Armani’s talent turnout was very impressive. Cate Blanchett, who has signed with the designer as the face of his perfume, was there with Glenn Close, Robert DeNiro, and Samuel L. Jackson. All were bedecked in Armani. Wanda McDaniel, the marketing guru for Armani, was the very first to dress actresses on the red carpet. Jodie Foster was her muse and that was 25 years ago. ay i Bette Midler , so Laura Dern, Bruce Dern and Andrea Beckett APRIL 2012 * AVENUE MAGAZINE | 57 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_010720