The Few, the Proud, the Canadian

By Steven Zeitchik

A midcentury Canadian politician named C.D. Howe once told his counterparts in Washington D.C. that "we must realize that neither side has any monopoly on sons of b*#@es."

Somehow that statement -- with pessimism substituted for the aforementioned sons, natch -- seems apropos coming in to the Toronto Film Festival. There's bleakness to go around on both sides of the border; after all, back in 2005 TIFF movies like "Thank you For Smoking" and "Trust the Man" garnered big seven-figure deals, but over the last couple years it's been a different story. In 2007 the big sale was the "Visitor," a gem of a film and a pickup that proved very savvy for buyer Overture, but not a title that inspired an all-out bidding war.

So how much does this year turn that pessimism around? Or, put another way, what's going to be big this year among those movies whose distribution remains unspoken for? Two hot titles are on everyone's list -- the Jennifer Aniston rom-com "Management" and Darren Aronofsky's Mickey Rourke-comeback piece "The Wrestler;" both should attract buyers pretty quickly after their debut this weekend.

But there's always room for a sleeper north of the border, so here are a few potential-laden titles flying a little lower.

* The Secret of Moonacre -- Every once in a while a big fantasy epic swoops in to a film festival, looking like it got lost on the way to the studio marketing meeting. This one, from the director of the surprise Disney hit "Bridge to Terabithia," could easily have been developed at a studio, and will likely end up with a big deal -- look for one of the specialty divisions remaking itself in a more genre-y, commercial way (Vantage?) to take interest.

* The Hurt Locker -- It's not easy selling an Iraq movie as an action pic, but buzz is good on this Kathryn Bigelow look at a bomb squad that has to defuse an explosive in the middle of a crowded city. With a dusting of topicality for Toronto but plenty of action for the mainstream, expect a tidy sale.

* Is There Anybody There? -- A gentle, intergnerational coming-of-age story with Michael Caine may not be The Dark Knight Revisited, but the new Big Beach title may be just what the doctor, or acquisition execs, ordered -- a winning dramedy in a market devoid of them.

* More than a Game -- Imagine the aspirational elements in Hoop Dreams with an ESPN-ish marketing blitz around LeBron James and you pretty much have this movie, about James' high-school basketball team. It's a doc, but don't expect it to play that way. Look for a big buyer who will want to take advantage of James' cooperation in the pic and interest in promoting the title.

Now having said that, we're sure that it will be a group of completely different titles that break out. Canada, you bedevil us every time.