It was their last chance to dazzle before today's Oscar nominations. But the stars of The Hours opted for a low-key British premiere last night rather than trying to outshine their rivals from Chicago - if you allow for the glamorous presence of Nicole Kidman in vintage couture.

Nothing could epitomise the difference between the two films going neck-and-neck in the Academy Awards as clearly as their premieres in London.

Chicago is a slick, glossy musical costing $40m. The Hours cost half that, and is an adaptation of a Pulitzer prize winning novel inspired by Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, with a screenplay by playwright David Hare.

Chicago's stars, Richard Gere and Renee Zellweger, gave their fans the razzle-dazzle in a packed Leicester Square in December. The cast of The Hours, including Miranda Richardson and Ed Harris, headed for the Chelsea Cinema in west London, known for independent and arthouse movies.

Some say that the greatest problem for Oscar nominators is deciding which of its three stars - Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore - should be honoured as best actress.

The Bafta voters solved the problem by nominating both Kidman and Streep for best actress, as well as nominating the film for nine other awards.

Kidman took the best actress award at the Golden Globes last month, where the movie also won best picture.

Last night's premiere was in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust and the Royal Court Theatre, where the film's director, Stephen Daldry, previously worked.