With TIFF 2014 having wrapped up just days ago, the discussion among critics and movie fans has shifted to the Oscars. TIFF has a great history of pulling in Oscar worthy films, especially in recent years (12 Years A Slave, Slumdog Millionaire, The King’s Speech), and this year certainly brought in some contenders. While some say that it’s too soon to be talking Oscars, in the last six years TIFF’s People’s Choice has aligned with the Oscars’ Best Picture three times. So with that in mind, let’s look at the movies with the most Oscar buzz coming out of TIFF 2014…
The Theory Of Everything
This romantic biopic drew so much positive press it’s hard to imagine how it didn’t win the People’s Choice Award. It’s the story of physicist Stephen Hawking and his relationship with Jane Wilde, and the emotionally crushing descent into Hawking’s ALS. It’s slated for wide release in November.
The Imitation Game
TIFF “it” actor Benedict Cumberbatch stars as Alan Turing in The Imitation Game, a biopic which takes place during World War II in a race against time to crack the Nazi Enigma code. The movie took the People’s Choice Award this year, and certainly lives up to its hype. Will TIFF go four for seven…?
Foxcatcher
Another biopic that tells the true dark story of Olympic gold medal winning brothers Mark and Dave Schultz. While the psychological thriller certainly earns some Oscar buzz, Steve Carrell’s performance as millionaire/supporter John du Pont will surely see him nominated.
Wild
Reese Witherspoon takes on the grittiest role of her career as Cheryl Strayed, a woman whose marriage falls apart and her mother dying leads her down the rabbit hole of heroin. With no direction in life, she sets out on a 1,000-mile journey on the Pacific Crest Trail. Her performance will surely see a nomination for best actress, and the film may have an outside shot at winning Best Picture.
Other films that came out of TIFF with Oscar buzz include Still Alice featuring Julianne Moore, Cake starring Jennifer Aniston, Bill Murray and his film St. Vincent, the Jon Stewart directed Rosewater, and The Riot Club.
Which TIFF movies do you think will win the golden statue? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
