It pains me to have to say it.  But you know that I'm right.  

I looked at that dress, felt disappointed, and then went back to look at McCarthy's award season to see what I wanted instead.  

I mean, it's hard to say. All her previous gowns have been a type. A jersey-esque long-sleeve with a v neck in a muted jewel colour.  She was definitely waiting to pull out the big guns until Oscar, which I totally get.  

I just didn't like the dress To jump straight to armchair designer mode, the most egregious part of the dress were the flapping sleeves. I know they were supposed to be wispy and ethereal but - two problems here: number one, there was so much going on in the neck and bust of the dress that it just seemed a distraction; number two, underneath the rose-colored panels, there were other, flesh-colored ones, which had a very pretty effect in the skirt, but as the breeze picked up (damn did it get cold fast last night), the rose panels exposed the beige ones, and the match to her skin tone made it look like flaps of her skin were peeling off.  

The real problem though is that the dress looked like it had been a sleeveless design where sleeves were added, and that always looks like exactly what it is.  I can't ask Melissa to be comfortable wearing something I want her to wear, and the girl likes sleeves (even if I think they're totally unnecessary), so she should have them. But it's a tall order to find a dress with sleeves that isn't like the last five she just wore.  

So okay, I didn't love it. But she's up here with her costars, they all appear to be happy and sparkly and still speaking to each other after all these appearances, and she wore shoes made expressly for her by her best friend Brian Atwood.  I think it probably qualifies as a great night.