The 2011 Palm Springs International Film Festival Awards Gala (again, presented by Cartier, in case you were in any doubt) took place on Saturday in sunny California, and played host to a number of stars.
There was increasingly attractive James Franco (see, it's catching, he even makes Danny Boyle look undisputably doable), the supremely stunning Helen Mirren, Carey Mulligan in a more suave take on her usual get up, a Russian blow up doll, Amy Adams, Mr. Social Network, Colin Firth, Mark Wahlberg, Javier Bardem, Martha 'You Might Recognise Me From Several Films, But Chances Are You Never Knew My Name' Plimpton, Rashida Jones, this ill-advised spectacle, Wendie Malick favouring the colour scheme from the gaff in This Life (that or she's made her fulls transition to tropical plant nymph who's thrown on a blazer since it's a formal affair) and Ben Affleck, clearly still miffed at anyone wielding a camera (he was photographed flipping off paps when out with his daughter last week).
The most talked about pairing of the evening, however, were Jake Gyllenhaal and his ex-girlfriend Natalie Portman. Before presenting Portman with the Desert Palm Achievement Award, Jake decided to give a wee intro for his one time squeeze: "She's a vegan, which makes it really frustrating when you're picking a place to eat... She's also recently announced that she's going to be a mum (no, really, she is), and her child will probably need therapy after seeing Black Swan."
Especially since said nipper was conceived onset. We can't confirm this, of course, but given Portman met the child's father, Benjamin Millepied, on the set of Black Swan, one can't help but imagine a load of sordid trailer action - also involving Mila Kunis, and various tutus/stretchy fabrics, while Darren quietly filmed through a window. Just me? Ok.