The Toronto International Film Festival has often served as a springboard to the Academy Awards, with several of its titles going on to nab the coveted best-picture trophy, including "Chariots of Fire, "Argo" and "12 Years A Slave." This year's movie marathon begins Thursday with nearly 400 films screening over 11 days. Here's a list of titles reporters at The Canadian Press are excited about:
"Black Mass"
Call him the Comeback Kid? "Comeback" was certainly the buzzword circling Johnny Depp at the Venice Film Festival after reviews praised him for his eerie transformation into the role of the notorious Irish-American gangster James (Whitey) Bulger. Benedict Cumberbatch plays his brother in an ace cast that also includes Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard and Dakota Johnson.
"Brooklyn"
Few films on this year's TIFF slate seem as sure to please audiences as John Crowley's stately romance. Saoirse Ronan portrays a bright but reserved Irish teen who immigrates to New York in search of opportunities increasingly scarce at home. She blossoms under the adoring attention of an Italian plumber before a series of circumstances force her to choose between her adopted home and her beloved Ireland. Adapted by Nick Hornby from a novel by Colm Toibin, "Brooklyn" luxuriates in a 1950s New York so alluringly dreamy, it's easy to understand why it's such a difficult choice.
"Closet Monster"
Hopes are high for this debut film from Newfoundland and Labrador director Stephen Dunn, an up-and-comer who tackled his first feature after logging several successful shorts. This deeply personal tale traces the myriad anxieties of teenager Oscar Madly, played by Connor Jessup, as he grapples with a tumultuous homelife, a childhood trauma and uncertain sexuality. Helping him cope is a talking hamster, voiced by Isabella Rossellini.
"The Danish Girl"
This biopic starring Eddie Redmayne as one of the first recipients of sexual reassignment surgery comes as transgender issues capture the world's attention. The Oscar-winning British star seems to completely embody the role of a 1920s Danish artist, alongside in-demand actress Alicia Vikander as his wife. With Oscar-winning "King's Speech" director Tom Hooper at the helm, the film promises gorgeous visuals and a sensitive rendering of the subject matter.
"Freeheld"
Ellen Page recently told Out magazine this is the movie that inspired her to publicly reveal she's gay. The Halifax native plays the domestic partner of Julianne Moore's ailing character in this true story that seems prime bait for awards consideration. Moore stars as police officer Laurel Hester, who fought to transfer her pension to Stacie Andree (Page) after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. Bonus star wattage: Steve Carell and Michael Shannon.
"Into the Forest"
Page also stars in this B.C.-shot survival tale about a pair of sisters forced to fend for themselves amid a continent-wide power outage and dwindling resources. Canadian director Patricia Rozema credits the "Juno" star -- also a producer here -- with being the driving force behind this futuristic tale, based on the Jean Hegland novel of the same name and co-starring Evan Rachel Wood. Set largely among B.C.'s majestic old-growth trees, Rozema says she strove to achieve something both "raw and elegant" in this examination of modern-day vulnerabilities.
"The Martian"
Matt Damon. Outer space. An against-all-odds rescue mission. The ingredients are here for a crowd-pleasing big-budget spectacle -- in 3D, no less. Real-life astronauts have apparently given the book that inspired this tale a thumbs up, and with NASA actually setting its sights on Mars, the subject matter is especially timely. Plus, director Ridley Scott has a proven track record with galactic thrills, so we're strapping in for an exhilarating ride.
"Room"
This Canada/Ireland adaptation of Emma Donoghue's harrowing bestseller rides a wave of stellar notices from its Telluride debut over the weekend. It no doubt benefits from a screenplay written by Donoghue herself, whose tough subject matter demands a delicate touch: a five-year-old born in captivity details life with his mother in a dank locked room, unaware there is a larger world beyond the walls. Brie Larson stars as the fiercely devoted Ma while young newcomer Jacob Tremblay astonishes as her resilient son.
"Sicario"
Quebec director Denis Villeneuve delves back into the darkness with his latest, a gritty thriller grounded in the trenches of the Mexican Drug War. Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro and a reluctant Emily Blunt are the U.S. agents tasked with covertly traversing the U.S.-Mexico border to bait a brutal drug lord into revealing his location. Twelve-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins again lends his sweeping vision to Villeneuve, collaborating for a second time after 2013's brutal "Prisoners."
"Spotlight"
One year after director Tom McCarthy appeared at the Toronto International Film Festival with the biggest critical bomb of his career -- the Adam Sandler fairy tale "The Cobbler" -- he returns with perhaps his strongest work. With clear eyes and a steady hand, McCarthy's new journalism procedural tells the true story of a Boston Globe investigative team bringing light to the Catholic Church's attempted cover-up of a wide-reaching molestation scandal. A fiery Mark Ruffalo headlines a starry cast that also includes Michael Keaton, Liev Schreiber and Canadian Rachel McAdams.
Compiled by Canadian Press reporters Victoria Ahearn, Nick Patch and Cassandra Szklarski
