Cannes Film Festival red carpet: The luminous and the lackluster

By Thomas Adamson / The Associated Press

Cannes, France—Cannes’ red carpet can be as kind as it is cruel when it comes to fashion.

For 12 days, major Hollywood actresses, such as Emily Blunt, Marion Cotillard and Naomi Watts, graced the film festival’s red carpet in clothes designed by the world’s greatest. Yet, while the best looks come to define the festival, there’s almost as much interest in who got it wrong.

Here are the 68th Cannes Film Festival’s fashion hits and misses:

Emily Blunt

Blunt has Stella McCartney to thank for her shimmering coup at the Sicario premiere, alongside co-stars Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin. Embroidered jewels gave the sophisticated, covered-up look a weight that oozed old-school Hollywood glamour, yet sparkled with sporty simplicity.

Marion Cotillard

It was not Cotillard’s strongest year in the fashion parade, but the Dior brand ambassador fared well in a blue-and-rose truncated minidress from Dior’s haute couture spring-summer 2015 collection at the premiere of Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth. She sparkled alongside co-star Michael Fassbender, thanks to the outfit’s myriad of embroidered paillettes and jewels. The Oscar winner, who’s known for her fashion-forward style, bucked the trend for classical va-va-voom and voluminous dresses that were popular this year at Cannes.

Kendall Jenner

Model-of-the-minute Kendall Jenner impressed critics with her bold Alaia look at the premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s Youth. The 19-year-old pulled off a difficult look—a billowing skirt and an exposed midriff—with panache. She accessorized the look with Alaia gladiator sandals and a diamond bib necklace.

Sienna Miller

Jury member Miller had a cinematic comeback this year—after roles in American Sniper and Foxcatcher—but it was an off year for her on the Cannes red carpet. Misses included an oversize, shapeless black look by Sonia Rykiel at the Carol premiere, and a blush layered gown that some compared to curtains at the Macbeth premiere.

Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman’s directorial debut A Tale of Love and Darkness did not fare well with critics, nor did the rather mature-looking, limp Rodarte dress she wore to the film’s photo call. The asymmetrical skirt looked off-kilter with the symmetry of the upper part.

Naomi Watts

It was a mixed bag for Oscar-nominee Watts. She thrilled at the Cannes Film Festival opening in a beautiful powder gray gown by Oscar de la Renta, with diaphanous embroidered feathers on the skirt and glittering jewels on the revealing bodice. But she appeared later in a dubious black gown by Peter Pilotto that had an uneven skirt at The Sea of Trees premiere.