Toronto So Far: Women Rule But Oscar Race Still Up in Air

Toronto International Film Festival

If after its first weekend the Toronto International Film Festival is so far inconclusive, one thing is truly clear: This year’s TIFF belongs to the women.

One-third of the films in the official selection were directed by women, a new high, including such notable works as Greta Gerwig’s “Lady Bird,” Lynn Shelton’s “Outside In,” Valerie Faris (with Jonathan Dayton)’s “Battle of the Sexes,” Susanna White’s “Woman Walks Ahead,” Haifaa al-Mansour’s “Mary Shelley,” Chloe Zhao’s “The Rider,” Clio Barnard’s “Dark River” and Nora Twomey’s “The Breadwinner.”

But more than that, the great performances so far at this festival have predominantly come from women, suggesting that this year’s Best Actress race at the Oscars could be more competitive than Best Actor.

Also Read: 'Lady Bird' Director Greta Gerwig 'Knew Right Away' Star Saoirse Ronan 'Was Right for the Job' (Exclusive Video)

For starters, there was Saoirse Ronan in “Lady Bird,” bringing vibrant life to a sharp, disaffected teen.

There was Jessica Chastain in Aaron Sorkin’s talky, supercharged “Molly’s Game,” and also in “Woman Walks Ahead,” the period drama whose title might as well be the theme for this year’s festival.

There was Jennifer Lawrence, almost never off screen and almost always in extremis in Darren Aronofsky’s horror-film fever dream “mother!”

There was Dame Judi Dench, who won three standing ovations from the Princess of Wales crowd at the premiere of Stephen Frears “Victoria & Abdul,” in which she plays an aging, lonely Queen Victoria. Emma Thompson, matchless as a tightly-wound judge in Richard Eyre’s “The Children Act.” And Helen Mirren, heartbreaking alongside Donald Sutherland in Paolo Virzi’s “The Leisure Seeker.”

Also Read: 'The Leisure Seeker' Toronto Review: Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland Highlight Touching Road Movie

Margot Robbie, meanwhile, was by all accounts a delight as Tonya Harding in “I, Tonya,” which also boasts a sparking supporting turn by Allison Janney. And reigning Oscar champ Emma Stone played a more virtuous athlete, Billie Jean King, in “Battle of the Sexes.”

Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz won raves in Sebastian Lelio’s “Disobedience,” while transgender Chilean actress Daniela Vega did the same in Lelio’s other TIFF entry, “A Fantastic Woman.”

Then there was Edie Falco in “Outside In,” Julianne Nicholson in “Who We Are Now” and Ruth Wilson in “Dark River.”

And seven-year-old Brooklynn Prince, a remarkable discovery in Sean Baker’s “The Florida Project.”

Also Read: 'The Florida Project' Cannes Review: Unruly Kids Steal the Show in Heartbreaking Drama

That’s a small sampling, and there are more waitng in the wings for Monday, when the festival will hold i ts first screenings of Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water,” which contains an acclaimed performance from Sally Hawkins”; Andy Serkis’ “Breathe,” featuring Claire Foy; and “Unicorn Store,” directed by and starring Brie Larson.

Monday’s other premieres include Angelina Jolie’s Cambodian film, “First They Killed My Father,” Scott Cooper’s period western “Hostiles,” which went over well in Telluride, and Joe Wright’s “Darkest Hour,” with Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill on the eve of World War II.

And that plethora of Monday debuts is one of the reasons why TIFF has been inconclusive so far. The rule that says films that premiered at other festivals can’t get a prime booking during Toronto’s opening weekend has produced a Monday night glut, and made it harder than usual to judge the overall quality of this year’s entries.

Also Read: 'Chappaquiddick' Toronto Review: A Morality Tale About Ted Kennedy

Still, it’s safe to say that George Clooney’s dark comedy “Suburbicon” didn’t rally much from its lackluster Venice debut, and Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” was appreciated but not universally embraced, while Darren Aronofsky’s “mother!” thrilled some and offended others.

And it’s even safer to say that on the first weekend of TIFF 2017, men had to take a back seat to a whole lot of wonder women.

117 Amazing Portraits From TheWrap's Toronto Studio, From Angelina Jolie to Jim Carrey (Photos)

Actors Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney and director Craig Gillespie, "I, Tonya"

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Actress-producer Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"

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Margot Robbie, "I, Tonya"

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Actress Allison Janney, "I, Tonya"

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Sebastian Stan, "I, Tonya"

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Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"

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Helen Mirren, "The Leisure Seeker"

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"Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond" Jim Carrey

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Jim Carrey, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"

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Director Chris Smith, "Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond"

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Actor Benedict Cumberbatch, "The Current War"

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Michael Shannon, "The Current War"

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Director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon with actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael Shannon and Nicholas Hoult, "The Current War"

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Director Angelina Jolie, "First They Killed My Father"

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Director Angelina Jolie with producer Rithy Panh, stars Kimhak Mun, Sareum Srey Moch and co-writer Luong Ung, "First They Killed My Father"

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Writer-director Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"

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Greta Gerwig, "Lady Bird"

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Actress Laurie Metcalf, "Lady Bird"

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Actor Tracy Letts, "Lady Bird"

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Brie Larson, "Unicorn Store"

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Actor Sam Rockwell, "Woman Walks Ahead"

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Emma Thompson and Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"

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Writer Ian McEwan, actor Stanley Tucci, director Richard Eyre and actors Emma Thompson and Duncan Kenworthy, "The Children Act"

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Stanley Tucci, "The Children Act"

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"Outside In" director Lynn Shelton with her cast Jay Duplass, Kaitlyn Dever and Edie Falco

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Jay Duplass, "Outside In"

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Edie Falco, "Outside In"

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Kaitlyn Dever, "Outside In"

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Director Lynn Shelton, "Outside In"

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Jake Gyllenhaal, "Stronger"

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Tatiana Maslany, "Stronger"

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Miranda Richardson, "Stronger"

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"Stronger" star Jake Gyllenhaal with Jeff Bauman, the Boston Marathon bombing survivor he plays in the fiilm

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Writer Jeff Bauman, "Stronger"

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Actor Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"

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Cedric the Entertainer, "First Reformed"

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Cedric the Entertainer and director Paul Schrader "First Reformed"

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Director Paul Schrader, "First Reformed"

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Actors Aaron Pederson, Abbey Lee, Matt Nable, Simone Kessell, Josh McConville and Ryan Corr, "1%"
Abbey Lee, "1%"

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Actress Simone Kessel, "1%"

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Actor Ed Harris, "Kodachrome"

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Actor Ed Harris and director Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"

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Mark Raso, "Kodachrome"

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Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, writer-director-producer Morgan Spurlock and producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"

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Producer Matthew Galkin, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"

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Writer-producer Jeremy Chilnick, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"

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Writer-director-producer-star Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"

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Morgan Spurlock, "Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken"

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Director Joseph Kahn, "Bodied"

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Actress Rory Uphold, "Bodied"

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Actor Calum Worthy, "Bodied"

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Director Armando Iannucci, "The Death of Stalin"

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Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"

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Director Darren Aronofsky, "mother!"

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Willem Dafoe, Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince and Sean Baker, "The Florida Project"

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Willem Dafoe, "The Florida Project"

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Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"

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Director-star James Franco, "The Disaster Artist"

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Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"

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Actor Dave Franco, "The Disaster Artist"

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Screenwriters Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber, "The Disaster Artist"

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Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"

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Alison Brie, "The Disaster Artist"

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Ari Graynor, "The Disaster Artist"

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Actress Jessica Chastain, "Molly's Game" and "Woman Walks Ahead"

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Actress Jessica Chastain, director Susanna White and Michael Greyeyes, "Woman Walks Ahead"

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Actress Julianne Nicholson, "Who We Are Now"

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Zachary Quinto, "Who We Are Now"

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Actor Josh Lucas, "Mark Felt"

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Selma Blair, "Mom and Dad"

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Selma Blair and Nicolas Cage, "Mom and Dad"

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Co-directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, "One of Us"

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Director Kyle Rideout, "Public Schooled"

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Judy Greer "Public Schooled"

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Actor Eddie Izzard, "Victoria & Abdul"

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Actor Ali Fazal, "Victoria & Abdul"

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Actress Elisabeth Moss, "The Square"

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Actor Terry Notary, "The Square"

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Director Ruben Ostland, "The Square"

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Actor Claes Bang, "The Square"

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Screenwriter Anthony McCarten, "Darkest Hour"

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Writer Anthony McCarten, stars Ben Mendelsohn, Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas with director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"

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Actor Ben Mendelsohn, "Darkest Hour"

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Actor Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"

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Gary Oldman, "Darkest Hour"

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Actress Kristin Scott Thomas, "Darkest Hour"

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Director Joe Wright, "Darkest Hour"

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Actor Nahuel Peres Biscayar, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"

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Actor Arnaud Valois, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"

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Director John Curran with actors Jim Gaffigan, Ed Helms and Kate Mara, writers Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen, "Chappaquiddick"

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"Chappaquiddick" director John Curran

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Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"

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Kate Mara, "Chappaquiddick"

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Jim Gaffigan, "Chappaquiddick"

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Ed Helms, "Chappaquiddick"

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Director Dan Gilroy, "Roman J. Israel, Esq."

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Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"

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Actress Diane Kruger, "In the Fade"

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Director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"

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Actors Christoph Waltz, Hong Chau and director Alexander Payne, "Downsizing"

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Actor Christoph Waltz, "Downsizing"

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Actress Hong Chau, "Downsizing"

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Actors Wes Studi, Rosamund Pike, direcor Scott Cooper, Christian Bale and Jonathan Majors, "Hostiles"

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Actor Simon Baker, "Breath"

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Simon Baker, "Breath"

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Director Neil Burger, "The Upside"

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Writer-director Martin McDonagh, "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri"

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Director and co-writer Dee Rees, "Mudbound"

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Actor Jason Mitchell, "Mudbound"

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Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"

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Jason Mitchell and Rob Morgan, "Mudbound"

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Actors Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, director Dee Rees, actors Rob Morgan and Carey Mulligan, "Mudbound"

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Garrett Hedlund, "Mudbound"

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Writer-director Robin Campillo, "BPM (Beats Per Minute)"

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Directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris, "Battle of the Sexes"

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Screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, "Battle of the Sexes"

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Brady Jandreau, "The Rider"

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