Taking our spot on the red carpet last night for the latest edition of Cinema Society, The Observer found itself giddy at the prospect of coming face to face again with French “triple threat,” as our gracious host Andrew Saffir so accurately pointed out, Melanie Laurent.
Being the writer, director and star of The Adopted, Ms. Laurent was indeed the triple threat, dazzlingly dressed head to toe in Dior, an irresistible smile stretched from ear to ear.
As she meandered down the line, entertaining the typical rigmarole, we thought it appropriate to enlist the help of a friend to retrieve a glass or two of bubbly, a feat that seemed to piss off a fellow carpet crasher (who frankly wouldn’t shut up about his “genius” offspring) as he tried to cut ahead of us.
“Are you even going to speak to her?” demurred our new friend.
Much to his chagrin, our efforts were rewarded when she practically ripped the glass from our hands. “Oh, thank god. You have champagne!” exclaimed the Inglorious Basterds star.
We seized the moment and made Ms. Laurent promise to tell us about her film without actually telling us about her film–a request she giggled at, but nonetheless agreed to. “It’s an incredibly honest film—such a work of love, an honest work of love.”
Red carpet out of the way, we grabbed our supplies: Popcorn, Kit Kat’s and Champagne, the only way to fly at these shindigs. And, without spoiling the surprise, the film was worth every moment of our time.
Popping over to the after party at sister hotel SoHo Grand’s Club Room, it was time for a drink. Er…more drinks.
Everyone’s favorite Reddit contributor, the perpetually ball-capped Woody Harrelson sidled up to the bar for a round with his entourage, but honestly we were more excited to speak to the fountain of youth that is Tony Danza.
We polled Danza: “Tony, what’d you make of the thing?”
“Dude, I gotta say, Melanie has a terrific a…I mean Melanie is an incredible woman: What a feat to write, direct, and star in such a beautiful movie.”
Hold us closer, Tony Danza.
A quick pit stop by the buffet of filet, and it was time to work the room with everyone’s favorite buxom blonde, Amy Sacco, who pulled a bit of a coup when she snagged a pair of hotel slippers from the front desk. “Darling, they give them out here if you ask nicely.”
We weren’t entirely sure that Ms. Sacco’s charm didn’t have something to do with it.
Film dabbler Paul Haggis chose to spend a bit more of his time outdoors with the smokers while Mark Ruffalo took more than a few takes in front of a photog with everyone’s favorite Frenchie. Who wouldn’t?
Finding Ms. Laurent and co-star Marie Denarnaud holding court in front of the fireplace, we were signaled to sit co-pilot–it seemed she had a plan to take the party on to it’s next and final destination: Nur Khan’s Electric Room, a return to where we had first crossed paths not so many late nights prior.
