The Top 6 Hollywood Films to see at TIFF 2013

The Toronto International Film Festival is Hollywood’s time to shine in the Great White North. For 10 celebrity-filled days, downtown Toronto will be draped in red carpet and bombarded by flash bulbs as Hollywood A-listers and top-tier directors unveil their latest prestige projects.

Even though many of Hollywood’s TIFF offerings will be released in the weeks and months following the festival (making a pricy admission a hard sell), getting to see these potential Oscar contenders first (with the cast and crew in attendance, no less) still make these movies a huge draw at the festival.

Here are six big Hollywood flicks that are sure to have people talking at TIFF 2013.

“Gravity”

While things don’t get much more “Hollywood” than an $80 million techno-thriller starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, TIFF flick “Gravity” also happens to be the first film from acclaimed Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón since 2006's "Children of Men." Star power and serious filmmaking cred! The film follows two astronauts who find themselves marooned in orbit after their space shuttle is destroyed by a shower of high velocity satellite debris. Early reviews for “Gravity” have been extremely positive, with Variety calling the harrowing space drama “nerve-shredding” and The Playlist praising the film as being “technically perfect” and “phenomenally directed.” Critics also had good things to say about Sandra Bullock’s performance as astronaut Dr. Ryan Stone – buzz that could translate into good things for the actress come awards season.

“Don Jon”

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut is one of the most talked about films of the festival, in part thanks to its strong supporting cast (Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore, Tony Danza, Channing Tatum, Anne Hathaway, and Brie Larson), but mostly due to its controversial subject matter: Pornography addiction. Gordon-Levitt plays Jon, a hard partying New Jersey bro trying to balance life and love with what turns out to be a pretty serious porn problem. The film, which premiered at Sundance earlier this year under the title “Don Jon’s Addiction,” was very well received by critics but divided most audiences. TIFF will be the “Don Jon”’s first big test.

“Rush”

Oscar-winning director Ron Howard (“The Da Vinci Code”) is bringing some serious horsepower to TIFF 2013 with his ‘70s set racing drama “Rush.” The true story of the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl), the film is set to have its North American premiere in Toronto. Racing movies have never had the best track record with critics or audiences, but if any Hollywood filmmaker can help revitalize this rarely visited genre, it’s Howard.

“August: Osage County”

Based on Tracy Letts' Pulizter Prize-winning play of the same name, "August: Osage County" is by far the most star-studded Hollywood movie set to play TIFF this year. The story of a dysfunctional Oklahoma family coming together in the face of a tragedy stars Meryl Streep (in a role that seems destined to earn the veteran actress her 18th Oscar nomination) and Julia Roberts. As if Streep and Roberts weren't enough of a selling point for "August," the film also features an amazing supporting cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Abigail Breslin, Benedict Cumberbatch (we're sensing a theme), Juliette Lewis, Dermot Mulroney, and Sam Shepard. Not too shabby. Though clearly designed as Oscar-bait, the strong cast and award-winning source material make "August: Osage County" a definite TIFF highlight.

“12 Years a Slave”

One of the 2013’s most buzzed about movies, filmmaker and TIFF favourite Steve McQueen (“Shame”) brings the incredible true story of Solomon Northup to the big screen. Starring Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northup, a freeborn African American who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South, “12 Years a Slave” features a stellar international cast that includes Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Paul Giamatti, and Brad Pitt. The film has earned rave reviews and has been the subject of much Oscar talk at the Telluride Film Festival. A strong showing at TIFF 2013 will insure that “12 Years a Slave” is a serious awards season contender.

“The Fifth Estate”

This ripped-from-the-headlines drama about the ascent of Wikileaks and its controversial founder Julian Assange already has everyone talking at TIFF. Directed by Bill Condon (“Dreamgirls,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn”), the festival opener stars a nearly unrecognizable Benedict Cumberbatch (“Star Trek Into Darkness”) as an uncanny big screen version of embattled info-warrior Assange. The timely subject matter, combined with tremendous international cast (Daniel Brühl, Laura Linney, Stanley Tucci, Anthony Mackie, Carice van Houten, Peter Capaldi, the list goes on...), makes “The Fifth Estate” the must-see movie of the festival and a sure-fire Oscar contender (particularly in Cumberbatch’s case) if it’s received well.

With nearly 300 films at TIFF 2013 -- a large portion which are U.S. productions or co-productions -- there's no shortage of Hollywood fare to take in. Those looking for some Canadian options should see our Top Five Canadian Movie Picks, but be sure to take a look at the full schedule to see everything the fest has to offer.

The Toronto International Film Festival runs from Sept. 5 to 15.