Oscars 2012: the best and worst of the red carpet - in pictures

Angelina Jolie in Versace. This is what a movie star looks like. End of. How is it possible to look so come-hither and yet so haughty at the same time? Even the cheesy leg-out pose doesn't kill it. Angelina looks like the reincarnation of Madame X, the black-gowned society beauty painted by John Singer Sargent in 1884. The deep velvet is sophisticated and bedroomy, making the girls in their shiny frocks look like giggly teenagers. And no necklace, no bracelets, no clutch bag: it's like she owns the place. Such confidence Photograph: Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

Viola Davis in Vera Wang. The colour is incredible on her. Matching your dress, earrings and eye make-up really shouldn't work (do not try this at home) but she pulls it off. That bodice is a feat of engineering. It's verging on the too-much-information category. But it works - you can tell it fits perfectly from her face, because she looks so confident in it. The skirt segues from being tight into sunray pleats around the knee, so she can actually walk, rather than hobble around the red carpet like a lame mermaid Photograph: Startraks Photo/Rex Features

Gwyneth Paltrow in Tom Ford. Gwyneth Paltrow is wearing a white cape on the red carpet. She's like a superhero whose special power is Detoxing. Actually, I love this: she's gone with a strong fashion choice, rather than a sexy choice. Gwyneth has form for going all-out on the red carpet. She wore a pink dress sugary enough to cause toothache to collect her Shakespeare in Love Oscar in 1999, and then a weird sheer black gothic McQueen three years later. Then she had kids and went really dull; now she's over that, and she's all kick-ass. There's a narrative here, and it makes her compelling to watch Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Natalie Portman in Christian Dior. The point about this dress is that it is vintage Dior, from 1954. Last year Portman distanced herself from Dior after the Galliano affair; wearing the label – but vintage, and therefore at one remove – feels like a lukewarm reunion. The trouble is that it's not a great dress. The material looks like a hankie and that horizontal neckline is odd. You can imagine a 16-year-old and her mum compromising on this silhouette, because it's strapless but not too revealing. If you're not in the mood to do sexy, Natalie, then make like Gwyneth or Shailene and wear something slick instead Photograph: Startraks Photo/Rex Features

Penelope Cruz in Armani Prive. Channel Grace Kelly in Hollywood, and you can't go wrong, right? Fail. This is a perfect dress for Penelope to wear to the Oscars – in 20 years' time. If she was going with a ballgown shape, she should have gone for something with a bit of texture, or a more daring colour. At last year's ceremony, she had just had a baby and she was all luscious and tanned with her hair loose, and looked like she was out to have fun. It was modern and relatable and appealing. This year, she looks like she's Oscars-dressing-by-numbers Photograph: Amy Sancetta/AP

Jessica Chastain in Alexander McQueen. This is beautiful, and a perfect choice for Jessica Chastain. Right now, Chastain is an actress; you get the idea she's quite up for being a proper movie star. To get to be a movie star, you have to make people feel they know who you are, so a red carpet dress is all about projecting your personality. The McQueen brand suggests the wearer has a bit of wit and attitude. It has a slightly gothic overtone, which gives it drama, but the gold keeps it upbeat. And the hourglass shape emphasises a sexiness that hasn't always been in evidence in her screen roles Photograph: Lester Cohen/WireImage

Meryl Streep in Lanvin. Meryl Streep has been recruited by Livia Firth for the Green Carpet Challenge, and this dress was specially made by Lanvin in eco-certified fabric sourced by the GCC. Which is fabulous. Ideally, Streep should always wear white – it looks incredible with her beautiful skin (think of how good she looked with that snowy hair in The Devil Wears Prada), but this soft, gold comes a close second. However, although the draped top half is lovely, the bottom half looks like a bathtowel. Tailoring was invented for a reason. Use it Photograph: Kevin Mazur/WireImage

Michelle Williams in Louis Vuitton. This is a nice dress, but it's the wrong dress. This is a dress for a va-va-voom body. Scarlett Johansson would look incredible in this dress; Williams looks lost inside it. She should be out there owning the cute pixie thing she's got going on; instead, she's rattling around inside Scarlett O'Hara ruffles, and it's a bit sad. The accessories don't work, either: the necklace is too staid, the bag is a weird colour and the brooch is twee Photograph: Startraks Photo/Rex Features

Shailene Woodley in Valentino. Shailene Woodley is the fashion revelation of the night. This is such a smart, bold choice. Woodley is 20 and new to the scene, and this dress pitches that perfectly. It says ingenue, but not immature. And it takes serious self-possession to wear such a covered-up gown at an event where thigh-splits and bustiers compete for attention. The neckline is as youthful and modern as a white T-shirt Photograph: Ian West/PA

Rooney Mara in Givenchy. One part of this outfit was surprising – she wore white, when everyone expected her to wear black – but what wasn't surprising was that she wore Givenchy. Designer Riccardo Tisci's angular, futuristic take on haute couture is a perfect fit with Rooney's strong look. The pale skin, no jewellery: unlike any other woman here, she would fit in if she walked that dress right back on to the catwalk. There's no cheese. Which is admirable, but people do like a little cheese Photograph: Michael Buckner/Getty Images

Glenn Close in Zac Posen. This is a triumph. The dress is good, but I really love the jacket, which is sophisticated and slightly rakish: you feel like if the ceremony got boring, she'd give you a wink and you could slope off to the bar and do a couple of shots. Also her hair is like Cameron Diaz's, but better – win! - and the forest green colour is rich without being showy Photograph: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Rose Byrne in Vivienne Westwood. This is an ambitious outfit. There is a lot going on, with the contrasting angles between the fringe, the neckline, the earrings and the clutch, and then the liquid sequin drape. And then there's a daringly bare back view, which is a second look in its own right. It's a very clever dress: being Westwood, I would wager there's a lot more structure going on than meets the eye. It's a dress that show's Byrne is in it to win it – on the red carpet at least Photograph: Jeff Vespa/WireImage