As the 79th Academy Awards marked its closing moments by confirming what many expected and awarding Martin Scorsese with the double honours of Best Director and Best Film, the biggest surprises of the night were to be found off-stage.

On the red carpet, despite the inoffensive medley of neutral colours adorning many of the stars present at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, there were the brave few who opted for bolder choices, most obviously Nicole Kidman, whose bright red Balenciaga halter gown featured an oversized and very prominent bow at the neck.

Gwyneth Paltrow also made a noteworthy appearance in an apricot spider-web tulle-and-chiffon gown by Zac Posen’s, while Jennifer Hudson arrived in a brown ruched gown with a metallic python bolero by Oscar de la Renta. Kidman’s friend and fellow Australian actress Naomi Watts also laudably chose the bright option, with a yellow Escada gown featuring a sapphire blue sash.

Jack Nicholson appeared sporting a shaved head alongside his signature sunglasses, but the look is not a sign of the legendary’s actor new-found penchant for baldness, but rather just devotion to his craft – he is currently filming The Bucket List, which features two terminally ill men who flee a cancer ward to complete a list of things they want to do before they die.

Speech-wise, we were starved of controversy and blubbering (although Alan Arkin and Jennifer Hudson came close), although there was the minor spectacle of eight-year-old Jaden, the son of Will Smith, muddling his lines by jumping the gun and starting to announce prematurely the nominees in the next category.

“And now we’re here to present another award ...,” the youngster, who starred with his father in The Pursuit of Happyness, started to say before he was shushed by Abigail Breslin, his 10-year-old co-presenter. “Oh, that’s probably not the right line anyway,” he finished.

Other highlights at the podium included Martin Scorsese picking up his Best Director award, which gained a standing ovation from a crowd all too aware the honour was long-overdue. Dame of the night, Helen Mirren, made one of the more memorable speeches, paying tribute to the real-life monarch and ending with the flourish: “Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Queen”

Before the ceremony, Dame Helen was one of the few to make her mark by grabbing a Union Jack from Sky One presenter Fearne Cotton, clutching it as she walked towards the Kodak Theatre. “I’ve nicked it and I’m flying the flag!” she said.

Across other major categories though, there were a number of disappointments for British hopefuls, most poignantly for Peter O’Toole, who at 74, has now been nominated eight times but never won the best acting accolade. Earlier, the legendary actor sportingly laughed along as host Ellen DeGeneres compared him to the youngest nominee, 10-year-old Abigail Breslin of Little Miss Sunshine.

"She's just happy to be here," DeGeneres said of Abigail. "And that's how it is for your first nomination. But then after you've been nominated a few times, you just want to win, really. Am I right, Peter O'Toole? . . . Peter's been nominated eight times. Is that right? You know what they say: third time's the charm."

Another face which featured prominently was that of Al Gore, whose double win for An Inconvenient Truth (Best Documentary Feature and Best Original Song) earned him glowing admiration from more than one quarter.

"I have to thank Al Gore for inspiring me, showing that caring about the earth is not Republican or Democrat, is not red or blue, that we are all green, this is our job now, we can become the greatest generation, the generation that woke up and did something and changed," said a gushing Melissa Etheridge, upon accepting her song award, echoing Leonardo DiCaprio’s earlier praise for Mr Gore.

Earlier in the evening, the duo engaged in a spot of orchestrated japery over rumours of a Gore bid for the 2008 presidency, in which the former Vice President - pressed by DiCaprio on whether he had a “major announcement” to make – began to read a fake statement of his declaration, before being cut off by music signalling that his time limit for talking was over.

“My fellow Americans, I’m going to take this opportunity right here and now, to formally announce my intentions to...” Gore said before the orchestra broke in and he walked off, arm-in-arm and laughing, with DiCaprio.

Soon afterwards, George Clooney had his say on the matter. "I was just backstage drinking with Jack Nicholson and Al Gore," he said. "I don't think he's running for President."

The host, Ellen DeGeneres, also made reference to Mr Gore at the start of ceremony. “There’s no rhyme or reason to who’s going to win,” she said. “Jennifer Hudson was on American Idol, America didn’t vote for her, and she’s here with an Oscar nomination. That’s amazing.

“And then, Al Gore is here, America did vote for him, and then ... very complicated.”

For the remainder of the time though, DeGeneres – only the second woman to present the awards solo – stuck more or less to feelgood inoffensive banter to keep the ceremony moving.

Her casual, warm manner appeared to give the awards a more informal feel than in previous years, and included her mingling in the audience among the nominees, including Martin Scorsese, to whom she handed a screenplay, and Steven Spielberg, whom she asked to take a picture of her with Clint Eastwood for MySpace.

“Make it more even on both sides” she said upon seeing the picture, handing Spielberg back the camera for another attempt.

Editor's choice

• The 100 Best Films of the Decade
• 70 facts you didn't know about Marvel
• The 50 Biggest Movies Of 2010