The most anticipated films – Variety

While the beginning of autumn usually means back to school and the end of outdoor barbecues, Hollywood has its own way of changing seasons. The Toronto International Film Festival, which kicks off on September 5th, marks the official launch of the Oscars race (note: there are only five months left, due to a previous telecast in February 2020).

Unlike neighboring Telluride and Venice film festivals, which take place the previous weekend, Toronto is easier to reach and is full of screenings: more than 200 films. Here are 14 who will probably talk about Canada.

"Grifters"
(STX Entertainment, September 13)
Director: Lorene Scafaria
Jeter: Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B, Lizzo
Since I saw "Hustlers" at the very beginning of the projection, I can not stop saying it. Every season of the Oscars, there is a film that sneaks among the experts. And I feel that this dramatic comedy written and directed by Lorene Scafaria will be a hit at the box office and a critical darling. In 2008, at the height of the financial crisis, a group of strippers from a New York club took extreme measures to stay in business. Jennifer Lopez will receive her first Oscar nomination for playing the role of leader Ramona in the role of Erin Brockovich by Matthew McConaughey in "Magic Mike." – Ramin Setoodeh

"The laundromat"

(Netflix, September 27, theatrical race; October 18 on Netflix)
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Jeter: Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, Antonio Banderas, Jeffrey Wright, Melissa Rauch, Jeff Michalski, Jane Morris, Robert Patrick, David Schwimmer, Cristela Alonzo, Larry Clarke, Will Forte, Chris Parnell, Nonso Anozie, Larry Wilmore, Jessica Allain, Nikki Amuka -Bird, Matthias Schoenaerts, Rosalind Chao, Li Kunjue, Lo Ming, James Cromwell, Sharon Stone
Steven Soderbergh illustrates the 2015 report on the Panama Papers with Ellen Martin (Meryl Streep), a Midwestern woman. Owen Gleiberman, from Venice, wrote that the film is "Soderbergh in its most gambling aspect, but also Soderbergh in its most idiotic and damned aspect, in this case, if the two do not agree together." – Kate Aurthur

"Judy"
(Roadside Attractions, September 27)
Director: Rupert Goold
Jeter: Renee Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Gaia Weiss, Wittrock Finn, Michael Gambon
Everyone was wondering if she still had it. In the winter of 1969, after missing out on money and opportunities in Hollywood, Judy Garland gave a series of concerts in London, to mixed reviews. Some nights she shone like Dorothy. On others, she could barely stand on stage because she had drunk so much. In "Judy", Renee Zellweger, released her own self-imposed exile film, describes the iconic star of "The Wizard of Oz" in the last months of her life. Judging by the enthusiastic reviews of Telluride, it seems that Zellweger (who proved that she performed well during the film adaptation of "Chicago" in 2002) may well sing to return to the Oscars. – RS

"Dolemite is my name"
(Netflix, theatrical release on October 4, October 25 on Netflix)
Director: Craig Brewer
Jeter: Eddie Murphy, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, Craig Robinson, Burgess Tituss, Da Vine Joy Randolph, Smit-McPhee Kodi, Snoop Dogg, Cephas Jones Ron, Barry Shabaka Henley, TI Tip & # 39; Harris, Luenell, Tasha Smith, Wesley Snipes
Eddie Murphy embodies Rudy Ray Moore, the star comedian who created the character Blaxploitation Dolemite in his comic role – a pimp who owns a nightclub – and then starred and produced the 1975 film of the same name. Murphy is in full swing here, and to promote "Dolemite Is My Name", he even appears on "Saturday Night Live" in December for the first time in 35 years. Viewers will also see the return of Wesley Snipes as Dolemite Director, D'Urville Martin. And Ruth E. Carter ("Black Panther"), Oscar-winning costume designer, designed the clothes of this extravagance of the 1970s. – KA

"Joker"
(Warner Bros., October 4)
Director: Todd Philips
Jeter: Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Marc Maron, Brett Cullen
Comic books have invaded every corner of Hollywood, but you would not normally expect it to be one of the selections of the opening night of the Venice Film Festival. "Joker" was created last week, mainly by positive reviews. Needless to say, there's a lot of anticipation about this independent film starring Joaquin Phoenix in the role of the ugly Batman that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger have played in memorable ways in the past. (Sorry Jared Leto!) – RS

"Jojo Rabbit"

(Fox Searchlight, October 18)
Director: Taika Waititi
Jeter: Sam Rockwell, Scarlett Johansson, Rebel Wilson, Roman Griffin Davis, Thomasin McKenzie, Waititi
In Germany, at the end of the Second World War, an imaginary teenager, Jojo (Roman Griffin Davis), Hitler (Taika Waititi), discovers that his mother (Scarlett Johansson) helped hide Jews. The buzz on this world premiere film is extremely positive, which means that Waititi somehow manages to portray Hitler as a blunder. It seems difficult! – KA

"Waves"
(A24, November 1st)
Director: Trey Edward Shults
Jeter: Kelvin Harrison Jr, Lucas Hedges, Taylor Russell, Alexa Half, Neal Huff, Clifton Collins Jr., Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sterling K. Brown
"Waves" is the story of a wealthy Black Florida family. This is the third feature film by Trey Edward Shults, after the film received well – and very different – "Krisha" and "They come at night". The TIFF presents "Waves" in its less flashy "Next Wave" group, but be sure to watch it. In his Telluride account, Variety Peter Debruge described Shults as a "visionary" and wrote about "Waves": "Films of this caliber rarely happen forever". – KA

"Harriet"
(Focus Features, Nov. 1)
Director: Kasi Lemmons
Jeter: Cynthia Erivo, Janelle Monea, Leslie Odom Jr., Joe Alwyn
Cynthia Erivo plays Harriet Tubman, a slave from a Maryland plantation who escapes by the Underground Railroad – to become one of the most famous abolitionists in American history. Janelle Monáe portrays the owner of a free housing, located in Philadelphia, which houses her and becomes her friend. Leslie Odom Jr. is an abolitionist who praises her for freedom and encourages her to develop her activism (even if it takes her a minute to realize her power). Kasi Lemmons – whose 1997 film "Eve's Bayou" strongly influenced Beyoncé's "Lemonade". – KA

"Wedding story"

(Netflix, November 6th, theatrically released, December 6th on Netflix)
Director: Noah Baumbach
Jeter: Scarlett Johansson, Adam Pilot, Laura Dern, Alan Alda, Ray Liotta, Julie Hagerty, Merritt Wever, Azhy Robertson
The marriage story of Noah Baumbach shows the two sides of a divorcing couple, played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver. But it's not just their personal story, but also a story about how divorce works, including their expensive lawyers (his: played by Laura Dern, sound: played by Ray Liotta). From Venice, Gleiberman gave a complimentary review to "Marriage Story," writing that she "captures this truth with such an exquisite combination of love and sorrow that she leaves you heartbroken and delighted." – KA

"Ford v Ferrari"
(Disney-Fox, November 15)
Director: James Mangold
Jeter: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Catriona Balfe, Tracy Letts, Josh Lucas, Noah Skirt, Remo Girone, Ray McKinnon, JJ Field, Jack McMullen
In his first film since his triumph "Logan" in 2017, James Mangold addresses the subject of ordinary men, although tormented also: two race car drivers (interpreted by Matt Damon and Christian Bale). Set in 1959, both riders are determined to beat Ferrari – in partnership with Ford Motor Co. – at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. According to Debruge's review in Telluride, the two-and-a-half-hour movie lags a bit, but the main performances are superlative. – KA

"Knives released"
(Lionsgate, November 27)
Director: Rian Johnson
Jeter: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Christopher Plummer, Frank Oz, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, K Callan and Noah Segan.
Between two "Star Wars" projects, Rian Johnson returned to the crime genre of his first film, "Brick", in 2005. In "Knives Out", Daniel Craig plays a famous detective from the south (!!!) named Benoit Blanc in which he is engaged. Find out who murdered the rich novelist Harlan Thrombrey (Christopher Plummer – these character names!) On his 85th birthday. This world premiere sounds like a classic thriller in the form of Agatha Christie, with a cast of stars. Between this and Kenneth Branagh's adaptations to Christie, these flashing mysteries may be making a comeback (fingers crossed). – KA

"Gems Uncut"
(A24, December 13)
Director: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
Jeter: Adam Sandler, Julia Fox Lake Fitzgerald, Kevin Garnett, Eric Bogosian Idina Menzel, Judd Hirsch
In "Uncut Gems," Adam Sandler plays Howie Ratner, an intriguing and fast-paced jeweler on the verge of ruin. If Sandler and Sandler are idiots, Howie seems to steal one to create the other – the stupid Sandler in a serious movie. The results seem intense and can be divisive – relying on Debruge from Telluride, who wrote: "The Safdies are determined to maintain the intensity throughout the race, which can be both exhilarating and exhausting. " – KA

"A nice day in the neighborhood"

(Sony Pictures Entertainment, November 22)
Director: Marielle Heller
Jeter: Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson and Chris Cooper
Fred Rogers was the subject of two documentaries about him, including the Oscar-nominated film "Will not You Be My Neighbor?" (And the least known, "Mister Rogers: I love you") . Tom Hanks interprets it here in the story of Rogers' friendship with Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys), a stale magazine journalist who describes it. (It is based on the story of Tom Junod in Esquire in 1998 titled "Can you tell … hero?") Marielle Heller, who focused on complicated women in "The Journal of" a teenager "of 2015 and" Can you forgive me? "Last year smart look for men here. – KA

"Just pity"
(Warner Bros., December 25th)
Director: Destiny Daniel Cretton
Jeter: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson, Rob Morgan and Tim Blake Nelson
According to the first rumors, Warner Bros. The drama is based on the memoirs of Alabama lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who is charged with the case of a death row convict sentenced to death for murder, to position him as a major Oscar nominee. The trailer has a "To Kill a Mockingbird" atmosphere. At least we know it well: Michael B. Jordan, who plays the lawyer, has been waiting for an Oscar nomination for a long time, having been at the Oscars for "Fruitvale Station", "Creed" and "Black" Panther. " – RS