Oscars 2009

Fashion experts agreed that Aniston's metallic Valentino gown easily outshone Jolie's dreary black dress.

Aniston was there to co-present the best animation award with Jack Black and as the pair bantered on stage the television cameras panned to Jolie, perhaps hoping to see her glaring at the woman who recently described her as "really uncool". But Jolie laughed away at Aniston's jokes.

Jolie is a past master at not betraying her emotions on awards night - she also smiled gamely at the Golden Globes when Kate Winslet forgot her name and referred to her as "the other one".

The Tomb Raider actress was seated with her partner and Aniston's ex-husband, Brad Pitt. Friends actress Aniston attended the ceremony with her boyfriend, musician John Mayer.

The couples were seated only a few rows apart but didn't speak during the show. They also managed to avoid one another on the red carpet.

Aniston split up with Pitt in 2004 and maintained a dignified silence on the break-up until November last year, when she gave an interview to Vogue magazine in which she criticised Jolie for discussing how she fell in love with Pitt while they filmed Mr and Mrs Smith that same year.

"There was stuff printed there that was definitely from a time when I was unaware that it was happening. I felt those details were a little inappropriate to discuss. That stuff about how she couldn't wait to get to work every day? That was really uncool," she said.

The Oscars proved to be another night of awards disappointment for Jolie and Pitt. They were each nominated for acting prizes - she for Changeling and he for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - but lost out, just as they did at the Golden Globes, Baftas and every other awards show this season.