On screen, British actress Lucy Punch plays Naomi Watts's bimbo step mother.

But tonight the 32-year-old starlet was anything but as she descended on the red carpet at Cannes in an elegant coffee-coloured gown for the premiere of the Woody Allen film, You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger.

And it seems her and co-star Watts, 41, had put their heads together, with the British-born, Australian-raised star wearing a matching coloured ensemble.

Colour co-ordinated: Lucy Punch and Naomi Watts wore very similar coffee coloured gowns at the premiere of You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger at the Cannes Film Festival tonight

Punch was a definite knock-out in her ruffled number, which she teamed with beige clutch bag, while Watts's pleated, strapless design was both demure and elegant.

The blonde glamour pusses were joined by veteran Gemma Jones, 67, Josh Brolin and director Woody.

Ms Jones, who steals the movie from her more glamorous colleagues, wore a sparkling black and silver trouser suit ensemble and a stylish red cape.

Cast call: Posing here with director Woody Allen, veteran actress Gemma Jones and US actor Josh Brolin

Whoops: Spanish actress Elsa Pataky lost a section of her dress as she negotiated the stairs

She declared she was 'no glamorpuss' and wouldn't be squeezing herself into designer gowns with plunging necklines.

Woody and his cast received a standing ovation as they entered the Grand Lumiere auditorium for the special out of competition screening at the Cannes Film Festival.

Woody has a god-like status in France and is revered more there than he is in his own country.

The film also stars Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas and Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto although none of the trio were in Cannes.

Strutting her stuff: Lost actress Evangeline Lily wore a peacock -inspired outfit with killer peep-toe heels

Acting up: She was joined by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon actress Michelle Yeoh

Jones plays Helena the divorced wife of the character played by Hopkins and Watts is their screen daughter.

Helena is lonely, forever fidgeting and always asking her daughter and son-in-law (Brolin) for a 'little sip of something’, which usually means a slug of sherry or whisky.

Jones is fantastic in the part and the film's American distributor Sony Picture Classics is planning to mount an Oscar campaign for Jones' performance.

Other stars on the red carpet tonight included Lost star Evangeline Lily and Spanish actress Elsa Pataky, who had a wardrobe malfunction when a section fell off the dramatic train on her bridal-style white dress.

Elegant: American actress Diane Lane went on yet another red carpet outing in a asymmetrical blue dress

Princess of Venice and Piedmont Clotilde Courau, French actress Frederique Bel and French director and actor Guillaume Canet, who starred in The Beach