oscars red carpet: pretty, but not that exciting

Let me start by saying I had a great time watching the Oscars last night. One of my good friends celebrated her birthday yesterday by hosting a viewing party, and since there ain't no party like a theme party, we all dressed up in our favorite, old school velour track suits and played Oscars bingo. Oh yeah, we keep it classy.

So yes, I had fun last night, but wasn't the red carpet...boring?!? Lots of people looked really pretty, but they also looked really safe. One of my friends and I were left pining for the wild days of Cher on the carpet in Bob Mackie, or even someone - anyone! - willing to take a fashion risk, like Cate Blanchett always does. (Seriously, where was Tilda Swinton when you need her?) Overall, the red carpet was a snoozefest, but there were a few looks that left a lasting impression:

Rooney Mara in Givenchy Couture

I adore Rooney Mara. She dresses for fashion, and this Givenchy Couture gown was a perfect choice for her. There was a lot of buzz about who would dress Mara for her first Oscar nomination - Calvin Klein was deemed a strong contender when she showed up front row at the fall show - but I had a feeling it would be Givenchy. I mean, the French house's spring couture show looked like it was created expressly for Lisbeth Salander, her character in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. This dress was a softer, more accessible choice, but it's flawlessly constructed with interesting, challenging design details. Not just anyone could pull this off, but Mara makes wearing it look effortless.

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton

I always look forward to seeing what Michelle Williams wears on the red carpet. She has a very unique, specific personal style, and she always stays true to herself. Her vibrant, ruffled Louis Vuitton gown brought a much needed dose of color and energy to the carpet last night, and her pixie cut and simple makeup gave the look a gamine quality. The adorable Kelly Osbourne (hate if you want, but I think she's great) insightfully called Williams the modern day Audrey Hepburn - she's sexy in an elegant, understated way, and she has no idea how truly alluring that makes her.

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen

As with anything from the house of McQueen, the level of detail and craftsmanship on this gown is in a league of its own. The gold embroidery looked gorgeous against Jessica Chastain's pale skin and brought out the glow in her red hair. It was maybe a little tight up around her bust, but overall she looked gorgeous.

Milla Jovovich in Elie Saab

One of the first to arrive on the red carpet last night, Milla Jovovich looked stunning in a glittering Elie Saab gown. I love the architectural one shoulder silhouette and her Old Hollywood hair and makeup.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

Jennifer Lopez looked hot last night at the Oscars. Yes, she's worked a similar silhouette many times before, but have you seen her body??? Damn, girl! And if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Sacha Baron Cohen as The Dictator

All right, time to be honest - the most exciting thing to happen on the red carpet last night was Sacha Baron Cohen arriving in costume as The Dictator, then pouring "Kim Jong Il's ashes" down the front of Ryan Seacrest's Burberry tuxedo. E! cut to a break, and the next time we saw Seacrest on screen, he was completely clean. Hmmm, did he have a back-up tuxedo ready? The mysteries of fashion...Check out video of Seacrest's interview with The Dictator below, and let's hope Hollywood steps it up a notch for next year's Oscars red carpet.