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~ Classics Footnote from Israel and A Separation from Iran. From the other side of the world both governments monitored their directors as the Sony boys kept the peace. Michael and Tom Bernard invited me to the Independent Spirit Awards at the Santa Monica Pier. Michael hosted his Take Shelter nominees Jessica Chastain, 64 | AVENUE MAGAZINE ¢ APRIL 2012 Olivia Wilde Michael Shannon and director Jeff Nichols. Tom held court at the next table with the entire Iranian cast of A Separation, which won. Tom almost had a heart attack when I threw my arms around Iranian director Asghar Farhadi, which in Iran is unacceptable behavior, especially by a Jewish American Princess. Tom wished I had gone to the crowded champagne brunch in honor of Prince Albert and Princess Charlene at the Bel- Air Hotel where Montblanc launched Grace Kelly watches. Simultaneously, TV producer Gary Pudney hosted another secretive, lunch which Albert and Charlene actually attended with Graydon Carter, Carolina Herrera, Wallace Annenberg, Bobby Shriver, Bobby Marx, Kathy and Ricky Hilton and Lynn Wyatt. Wolfgang Puck joined them for dessert. “The French, as the The Artist gang was nicknamed, had won six Césars, France’s version of the Oscars, in Paris the night before. They flew all night and | Harvey's chauffeur arranged a | police escort from LAX just in time for them to win four Spirit Awards, cementing the Oscar win. Back at the BHH, Spielberg was the first to arrive at the tenth “Night Before” fundraiser in support of the Motion Picture and Television Fund. Jeffrey Katzenberg had already secured $200 of a $350 million fundraising goal that included money from him, Tom Cruise, Steve Bing, Casey Wasserman, Clooney and Spielberg. Every nominee showed up. Chanel and Charles Finch cooked up their chic soiree at Madeo, where a mariachi band annual enthusiastically announced everyones arrival. Bedecked exclusively in Chanel were Diane Kruger, Elizabeth Olsen, Rose Byrne, Ginnifer Goodwin and Rachel Bilson. Also air kissing were Rachel Zoe, Rosanna Arquette, Alice Evans and Ioan Gruffudd, Zachary Quinto, Julia Ormond and Dustin Hoffman. My Week With Marilyn’s English director Simon Curtis insisted we join Kenneth Branagh at The Weinstein Company’s bash at the Soho House in time to hear Tony Bennett sing “Autumn Leaves” to Harvey’s surprised 86-year- old mother Miriam, Madonna and Meryl. Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, Michel Hazanavicius and _ producer Thomas Langmann staggered around completely jet lagged, too tired to speak English. Uggie on the other hand was the absolute star of the evening as his trainer placed him in everyone's arms for photos. WE’s Andrea Riseborough and Abbie Cornish sat next to baseball cap-clad Leonardo DiCaprio as his ex, Bar Refaeli, kept her distance across the room. Zoe Saldana walked in holding hands with Bradley Cooper. Scarlett Johansson introduced me to her boyfriend Nate Naylor. Katy Perry, Felicity Jones and Malin Akerman circled a refreshed Gerard Butler. The two daughters of New York slain hero cop Peter Figoski, Corrine, 14 and Caroline, 16 who had also been Harvey’s guests at the Super Bowl stood in the middle of this circus and just fainted. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26 I met interior designer Nicky Haslam in the Polo Lounge and found Nancy Reagan brunching with Bob Colacello and Carolina Herrera. Nancy knows me as “The DVD Lady”. I promised to send her The Iron Lady. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her late husband, who was Margaret Thatcher's best friend, was barely mentioned in the film. In a Marchesa gown, Dennis Basso fur and Iradj Moini necklace, I collected Simon Curtis and headed to the Hollywood & Highland Center. Simon, who has never been to the Oscars before, miraculously scored a front row seat between Michelle Williams and Clooney. We pulled up to screams of hysteria at the mother of all red carpets. Meryl’s __ publicist Dart whispered to me. “She is dressed like an Oscar. What do we do if she loses?” Sacha Baron Cohen hilariously guilted the Academy into letting him wear his costume from The Dictator and, after soiling Ryan Seacrest, he went directly to dinner at Vanity Fair. Gwyneth Paltrow won the style award in Tom Ford’s white column and Angelina Jolie so successfully invented a new one legged pose in a thigh high slit gown on the red carpet she repeated it for 39.3 million Leslee HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_013458