Oscar buzz is alive and well at TIFF, and indeed, the films thus far have been consistently strong, with not unwarranted Oscar buzz. Here are three that especially are worth the praise.
Steve Pond has already gone on the record as predicting that "The King's Speech" is a good bet for an Academy Best Picture nomination. After seeing this mesmerizing work from Emmy Award winner ("John Adams") director Tom Hooper, I am inclined to agree with him. Further, I suspect Colin Firth will be this year’s Best Actor winner for his superb performance as King George VI, who suffered a speech impediment for much of his early life, finally seeking help from Lionel Logue shortly before he became king.
Logue, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, understood that impediments are usually rooted in emotional issues, but he found the monarch reluctant to let him into his personal life. Hooper creates a film brimming with energy and urgency, plunging his audience into the years leading up to Great Britain's declaration of war against Germany and Hitler.
Firth truly is a revelation in the role, his eyes brimming with frustration and shame as tries to cobble together when he has to speak in public from memory rather than a prepared speech. And his growing sense of shame endears the character to the audience, as we realize that his royal birth, his childhood, was the cause of his pain and emotional scarring, thanks to a bully of a father, an abusive nanny and relentlessly teasing brothers.
But what gives more depth to the film is the story of Logue, who also was damaged by his past – specifically, by the First World War, which forever took away his innocence Rush brings a lovely energy to the character, who is a tad daffy, but cares deeply for his patients and for the young George.
Tom Hooper demonstrated his skill in historical drama with the superb "John Adams", which collected 13 Emmys. He seems equally at home with this picture and the time period. In what could have been a dry and frankly dull story, he has filled the film with a percolating energy, and allowed his actors to take front and center.
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The last time Darren Aronofsky was at TIFF was in 2008 for “The Wrestler,” which landed Mickey Rourke in the Oscar race for Best Actor, along with changing the course of his career. I suspect Natalie Portman, the star of his new film "Black Swan," will end up a Best Actress nominee. Portman, long considered a gifted actress, finally has a role that seizes upon her substantial talents as an actress, thanks to a director willing to push her to the limit.
Aronosky is a gifted director, and each of his new works is greeted with high anticipation and genuine excitement. The press audience began lining up for the screening more than an hour before the start time, buoyed by strong word out of Venice and the building buzz surrounding the picture.
