BEVERLY HILLS, Calif - Post parties after the Golden Globe Awards, less raucous than in previous years, flowed instead of crackled, conjuring up the understated 1920s glamor of black-and-white French-directed silent film and Globe comedy or musical winner "The Artist."
Celebrities at several after-parties located around the Beverly Hilton Hotel following Sunday's awards ceremony made the rounds noshing on gourmet comfort food, sipping martinis, chatting and dancing, but the overall party vibe felt more serene than spastic. Sophisticated, pared down decorations completed the effect, adding to a certain "je ne sais quoi" in the air.
"It's felt very, very mellow tonight, but in a good way," said "American Horror Story" star Connie Britton just before midnight at the Warner Bros. bash with InStyle magazine at the hotel's Oasis courtyard.
Britton, fresh off celebrating Jessica Lange's supporting actress in a series, miniseries or TV movie win for the show, summed up the sense of laidback acceptance pervasive at the parties:
"Jessica's win felt communal. I came here to support the show. I didn't feel pressure about winning or losing," said Britton, who also noted she was tired, with a newly adopted baby to care for at home.
"Modern Family" starlet Sofia Vergara, in a Sophia Loren-esque strapless blue Vera Wang gown, laughed and swayed with her son and friends next to a DJ spinning '80s tunes in the party's large tent, decorated with a sculpture suspended from the ceiling blinking red and blue lights. Starkly fragmented mirrors tinged with red neon lights lined the walls. In past years, a live cover band added spice to the party.
Vergara was happy about the show winning a trophy for best musical or comedy series -- but she also expected her night to end well before the wee hours.
"That's the good thing about L.A., that you can finish early. I'm going to go soon. I'm old," said the gorgeous 39-year-old actress, with a mock frown, at 10:45 p.m.
Other guests, which included "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm, singer Adam Levine, John Stamos, Zooey Deschanel and her sister Emily Deschanel, feasted on roasted root vegetable salad and crostini with apple and fig jam.
Earlier in the evening, at the NBC-Universal rooftop party, guests packed the dance floor to watch singer Janelle Monae, rocking her trademark pompadour, perform with her eight-piece band. Guests, mostly industry insiders, munched on sushi, roast beef and grilled salmon in the modern, tented nightspot.
Across the hotel, at The Weinstein Company's annual party in a cavernous tent at the lot adjacent to Bar 210, formerly Trader Vic's, slight rain showers couldn't dampen the celebration for the Weinstein-produced "The Artist." The film, besides being anointed best musical or comedy, also snagged trophies for original score and best acting for its French star Jean Dujardin. Set in '20s Hollywood, it follows the rise of talking pictures out of the silent film era and is almost completely silent.
With black couches and walls, and vases of crisp, white flowers, the party kept to a black-and-white theme, in keeping with the film's black-and-white palette. Clear beaded chandeliers accented by gold lights dangled from the ceiling. Revelers ate oysters and shrimp and drank Moet champagne. The ghost of old Hollywood drifted throughout the bash.
"The Artist" co-star and best actress nominee Berenice Bejo sat looking exhausted, yet like the '20s ingenue she plays in the film, with her husband, the film's director, Michel Hazanavicius, on a corner couch, surveying the scene. She had a jolt of enthusiasm when she spotted Leonardo DiCaprio across the room and rushed over to greet him.
Cameron Diaz took up a back couch next to Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, while Rob Lowe sat on top of his, grinning like a schoolboy. Other guests included Paris and Nicky Hilton, surrounded by an entourage of followers, and "Beginners" heartthrob Ewan McGregor, who vowed he would make it an early night, due to having four children at home.
Gerard Butler, the party's main go-to hunk, seemed overwhelmed by all the attention. Leggy women routinely wandered over to him, mugging for photos and kissing him on the cheek.
"I was pushed off of my own table!" said the actor, pointing behind him, to a packed table. "And I love women, and beautiful women, but sometimes ... ." He paused, head in his heads, and shrugged his shoulders.
At HBO's post party at Circa 55 restaurant, the first bash many celebrities headed to right after the awards ceremony, sleek and sparkling silver and white tablecloths, plus silver vats of white chrysanthemums, transformed the space into an ode to old Hollywood. The adjacent outdoor pool was half drained to make way for more tables. A clear tent and heat lamps protected against the cold.
A litany of A-listers such as Tim Robbins, Jane Fonda, Seth Rogen, Owen Wilson, Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart indulged in a smorgasbord of beef tenderloin, grilled chicken, sea bass with a honey miso glaze, ravioli, grilled asparagus, mashed potatoes and sushi.
Laura Dern, clutching her trophy for best actress in a TV musical or comedy for the HBO show "Enlightened," circled her way throughout the soiree, being greeted at every turn.
"It's so awesome," director and producer Judd Apatow said to Dern. "I'm freaking out!" she told other fans.
Another winner, Christopher Plummer, looked less sprightly. Seated at his table, his glisteningly golden best supporting actor trophy for "Beginners" next to his plate, Plummer waxed poetic on being 82 and celebrating his very first Globe win.
Would he stay out late?
"I've over 80 years old, have some mercy on me!" Plummer said. "I plan to leave early."
