Now that the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival is over, it's time to take a look at which films performed the best. It's often hard to highlight only a few films out of a slate that included 300, but that's what we're here for. Last week I wrote about the most buzzed-about films heading into the festival, so now that it's over are those same films still at the top of everyone's radar? After combing through hundreds of reviews and reactions – not to mention getting on the horn with people who were actually on the scene in Toronto – I've selected five Toronto Festival films that you'll definitely want to see once they eventually hit theaters.
Rabbit Hole
What's The Scoop: We mentioned this film last week, and here it is again. This drama about a couple (Aaron Eckhart, Nicole Kidman) dealing with the loss of their young child drew raves from audiences in Toronto, with folks claiming this to be Nicole Kidman's comeback role. Lionsgate (who picked up the film) probably won't have enough time to get it into theaters for Oscar season, so we should expect to see Kidman's name in the hunt for best actress this time next year.What Critics Are Saying: "…a refreshingly positive-minded take on cinema's ultimate downer: overcoming the death of a child." -- Variety
Release Date: TBD 2011
What's The Scoop: Natalie Portman is a shoe-in for a Best Actress nomination after delivering the performance of her career as a ballerina who begins to buckle under the combined stress of her demanding professional career and equally-as-demanding stage mom (played by Barbara Hershey).
What Critics Are Saying: "Audaciously weird and scary and go-nuts psychotic, Black Swan is, by any measure, a tour de force." – Cinema Blend
Release Date: December 1, 2010
SubmarineWhat's The Scoop: One of the critical darlings to come out of the festival was snatched up by The Weinstein Co. in a bidding war. The coming-of-age comedy is based on Joe Dunthorne's award-winning novel, and it follows a 15-year-old kid (Craig Roberts) who's navigating the feisty waters of his parents' divorce while dabbling in his first relationship.
What Critics Are Saying: "So while you may not have heard much about Submarine at this point, I'm confident in assuring readers that's all going to change soon. It's a perfect sleeper, and the best find of the festival. I truly believe this is a future cult classic, and one to watch for." - JoBlo
Release Date: TBD 2011
What's The Scoop: Rainn Wilson leads a funky cast (including a scene-stealing performance fromEllen Page) in this really dark (and violent) dramedy about a regular guy (Wilson) who decides to become a superhero after his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer. Kevin Bacon, Liv Tyler and Nathan Fillion also star. IFC has picked this up under their new Midnight banner, and so good news is this will but hitting your cable box at the same it land in theaters, making it much easier for you to see the film a lot of people were buzzing about up in Canada.
What Critics Are Saying: "Super is fun and funny, dark and twisted, semi-schizophrenic and certifiably insane. " -- Cinematical
Release Date: TBD 2010/2011
What's The Scoop: When all is said and done, Let Me In may go down as one of the best (and most successful) horror remakes of all time. The film, which is an English-language remake of the Swedish vampire flick Let the Right One In (which itself is based on a novel), follows the story of two lonely kids who meet in an apartment building and forge a friendship. Only thing is…one of them is an ageless vampire.
What Critics Are Saying: "This unsettling, effective American remake really gets under the skin as one of the year's most powerful thrillers." – The Hollywood Reporter
Release Date: October 1st, 2010
