Top 10 buzzed films screening at Toronto film fest

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Top 10 buzzed films screening at Toronto film fest

The Canadian Press Published Friday, September 9, 2011 11:59AM EDT

Brad Pitt in 'Moneyball'

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TORONTO - More than 250 movies will unspool at the 36th Toronto International Film Festival, which runs Sept. 8 to 18. Here are 10 titles already generating buzz:

Albert Nobbs -- Period costume drama? Check. Woman disguised as a man? Check. Screen legend starring with up-and-comer? Check that one too. There are certain movie elements that Oscar loves and this drama about a 19th century Irishwoman posing as a butler has 'em all. Glenn Close co-wrote the screenplay and stars alongside white-hot Mia Wasikowska.

Coriolanus -- Ralph Fiennes directs and stars in this Shakespearean Oscar bait about a banished Roman hero who teams up with his archenemy for revenge. Gerard Butler and Vanessa Redgrave round out the stellar cast. The film is an updated take on the bloody tale -- set in modern-day times and featuring some high-powered weaponry -- and has the hefty backing of the Weinstein Co., which snapped up the picture in Berlin earlier this year.

A Dangerous Method -- Viggo Mortensen, Keira Knightley and Michael Fassbender star in the latest effort from Canadian director David Cronenberg, a sexually charged historical drama about Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and the woman who came between them. If the trailer is any indication, the film may be as racy as Cronenberg's "Crash."

The Descendants -- George Clooney stars in this hotly anticipated release from "Sideways" director Alexander Payne, in which the 50-year-old Oscar winner portrays the patriarch of a storied Hawaiian family that is forced to decide what to do with their final parcel of land. Between its tropical locale and heart-throb lead, "The Descendants" sure won't lack for scenery.

Hysteria -- It's hard to call this romantic comedy "buzzy" without breaking into a giggle fit. See, this flick whisks viewers back to Victorian London for a cheeky look at the invention of the vibrator. With Rupert Everett, Felicity Jones and Hugh Dancy, it's a solid cast all the way through but Maggie Gyllenhaal has been getting special attention for her starring turn.

The Ides of March -- Clooney will also be at the fest with his latest directorial effort, a political thriller about a hotshot Democratic candidate on the eve of a primary. "Ides" is sure to be one of TIFF's most talked about films and boasts some serious star-wattage including Ryan Gosling, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Clooney himself.

Moneyball -- Clooney pal Brad Pitt should make a splash in Toronto with "Moneyball," the cinematic adaptation of Michael Lewis's popular book about the unconventional strategies of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane. With various writers and directors in its wake, "Moneyball has had a bumpy path to the big screen. Still, the trailer looks slick, and hopes are high that the finished product will be a fall classic with filmgoers.

Take This Waltz -- Sarah Polley's sophomore directorial effort is a vibrant, colour-infused salute to her hometown of Toronto that also pulls heavy, emotional performances from comics Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman. Michelle Williams stars as a young married woman attracted to her neighbour, played by Canadian Luke Kirby.

W.E. -- Madonna's second directorial effort casts Abbie Cornish as a '90s woman who is infatuated with the 1930s marriage of King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson. With a story that spans six decades, Madonna will surely get points for ambition -- and, at the very least, the Material Girl is sure to cause a commotion with her arrival in Toronto.

We Need to Talk about Kevin -- Oscar winner Tilda Swinton could be up for the golden statuette once again as she tackles the role of a mother dealing with her son's murderous high-school rampage. This powerful adaptation of Lionel Shriver's 2003 novel, directed by Britain's Lynne Ramsay, had critics raving at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

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An edgy political drama about a Democratic candidate who schools his idealistic campaign press secretary in the dubious machinations of modern politics.
Glenn Close co-wrote and stars in this adaptation of the play about a nineteenth-century Irishwoman who disguises herself as a man and works as a butler for twenty years. (Toronto International Film Festival)
Coriolanus is a drama for the ages, a commentary on the precarious draw of war and an auspicious directorial debut from one of the world's great classical actors.
An adaptation of Christopher Hampton's 2002 stage play concerning the turbulent relationship between Carl Jung and his mentor Sigmund Freud as they struggle to treat a troubled patient
George Clooney plays the leader of a storied Hawaiian family as they are forced to decide what to do with their last, vast parcel of land. At the same time he learns a secret about his critically ill wife.
Victorian London is brought to life in vivid colour as a young doctor struggles to establish himself while confronting the gutsy daughter of his boss.
Bennett Miller's follow-up to 2005's Capote stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the Oakland Athletics' general manager whose unorthodox approach to fielding a team had a major impact on the game.
A bittersweet story about a married woman struggling to choose between her husband and a man she's just met.
A film about a woman in 1998 who is infatuated with the 1930s marriage of King Edward VIII and American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
Based on the best-selling novel, Tilda Swinton gives a strong performance as a mother who always knew her son was different, angry and perhaps evil.