Tactical Surprises

The Scene: Tuesday’s screening of Warner Bros. and Geffen Pictures’ “Michael Collins” at the Motion Picture Academy. A party followed at Chasen’s. The epic biopic tells the story of the IRA guerrilla tactician who fought for Irish independence 80 years ago. Anyone who arrives thinking it’s about the astronaut is in for quite a surprise.

Who Was There: Stars Liam Neeson, with wife Natasha Richardson, and Aidan Quinn; director Neil Jordan; producer Stephen Woolley; and composer Elliot Goldenthal; plus 1,000 guests, including Jodie Foster, Oliver Stone, Pierce Brosnan, Dan Aykroyd, Courteney Cox, Julian Sands, Carol Kane, David Geffen, Ed Limato, Lou Pitt, Gary Foster and studio execs Bob Daly, Terry Semel, Bill Gerber and Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

Quoted: Said director Jordan: “There’s something profoundly tragic about the Irish / English experience. It’s like good-hearted people in conflict. It’s a lack of language or something. It’s the triumph of misunderstanding.”

Entertainment: Michelle Lynskey, of the Irish band Buzz-world, said the essential elements of the melancholy ballads she sings are love, love lost, disputes with parents and immigration. As in: I had a lover. My father killed him. We buried him. I left for America. She said the traditional way of listening is “to stare into your pint thoughtfully.”

Chow: Reflecting the fact that it wasn’t a green beer and Lucky Charms kind of movie, the buffet from Along Came Mary was solidly meat and potatoes. There were a number of comments on Chasen’s new life as a nostalgia-for-lease venue. “It turns out rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated,” noted a guest.

Fashion Statements: Currently voguish are leopard prints, faux tortoise shell bracelets and leather pants. “You can look hip and still be dressed up,” said one woman. On the other hand, backpacks (except maybe from Prada) are once again for schoolchildren and mountain climbers. “The monkey is off your back,” is the way one fashion maven put it.