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On this night, Penelope Cruz got by with a little help from her friends.

And some friends they were: Oscar nominee Salma Hayek, French film hunk Olivier Martinez ("Unfaithful"), singer Christina Aguilera and director Edward Zwick ("The Last Samurai"), just to name a few.

In the rest of the world, Cruz is best known as a first-class actress, thanks to acclaimed turns in smashes such as "All About My Mother" (1999) and "Open Your Eyes" (1997).

But her highest profile stateside has been as the former significant other to Tom Cruise, and as co-star of such English-language disappointments as "Gothika" (2003), "Captain Corelli's Mandolin" and "Vanilla Sky" (both 2001).

Ironically, a relatively small Italian import titled "Don't Move" may boost her Hollywood star status. Containing what may be the best-reviewed performance of the Spanish actress's career, the film has already earned her the Italian Oscar (the David di Donatello award), as well as a nomination for the European Film award.

Now "Don't Move" takes on America. And Cruz admits it won't be an easy sell.

The subtitled film is a rich, often tragic saga of existentialism about an unlikely love between two desperate people: a widower (Italian megastar Sergio Castellitto, who also directed) and a lonely, destitute woman (Cruz).

"The script is based on a novel," Cruz told Associated Press Television News at the film's domestic premiere on Sunday. "And in the novel, they mention, 10 times, the characters say to each other, 'Don't move.' They left it in the movie three-four times. And when you see the movie you understand the meaning of that. Somebody's about to die. Somebody's about to leave the other person. And it's about the fear of losing what you love or who you love."

For Cruz, beautiful in a basic-black strapless Ralph Lauren, love was all around the intimate lobby of the Clarity screening room in Beverly Hills.

Hayek, who had nothing to do with the film, made the usual move of speaking to press just to praise her pal's work.

"I'll think she'll shock you," Hayek said. "I think she'll shock you because she really goes to a place where you wouldn't imagine anyone being comfortable. She makes it so compelling at the same time. It's a very courageous performance and very subtle in ways and raw in some other ways. There's such an arc to it, that you don't ever get sick of watching her."

Source: yahoo

Editor: Donald