TIFF 2014: What were the major themes of this year’s festival?

As the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival starts to wind down, the trends of this year's movie lineup begin to emerge. From brilliant people to homecomings to scary settings, here are a few of the major themes to come out of TIFF this year.

Misunderstood genius

Biopics involving great geniuses in various fields have been a big theme this year. "The Imitation Game" stars Benedict Cumberbatch as persecuted WWII codebreaker and father of the computer Alan Turing; "The Theory of Everything" features Eddie Redmayne as disabled astrophysicist Stephen Hawking; "Pawn Sacrifice" stars Tobey Maguire as elusive U.S. chess master Bobby Fischer; and "Mr. Turner" centers on the life of famed British painter JMW Turner (Timothy Spall). Unsurprisingly, these misanthropic performances have all earned their respective portrayers critical raves and serious awards season talk. If there’s one thing Hollywood understands, it’s good acting.

Tumultuous times

War and civil strife have always been fertile ground for moviemaking, so it’s not surprising that more than a few films on the subject have made their way to TIFF 2014. Films like "Corbo" (focusing on a young separatist who becomes radicalized in pre-FLQ crisis Quebec), "'71" (focusing on “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland in the early 1970s), and "The Narrow Frame of Midnight" (following a man in search of his Jihadist brother in war-torn Iraq) to name a few exploring the topic.

Movies about actors, acting, and Hollywood

TIFF 2014 is a particularly introspective year for filmmakers. Movies about actors, acting, or the film industry in general have been a huge theme at this year’s festival. David Cronenberg’s "Maps to the Stars," Olivier Assayas’ "Clouds of Sils Maria," Barry Levinson’s "The Humbling," Chris Rock’s "Top Five," Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s “Winter Sleep,” and more all centre on actresses and actors in various stages of their career, either trying to bounce back, get a big break, or come to terms with getting old. When in doubt, get meta.

Homecoming

Two of TIFF's most high-profile premieres - fest opener "The Judge" starring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall and the ensemble dramedy "This is Where I Leave You" starring Jason Bateman and Tina Fey - focus on the idea of coming home and being with family, whether you like it or not. Other films, like the intense drone war drama “Good Kill” starring Ethan Hawke and Zhang Yimou’s cultural revolution tale “Coming Home” also tackle the subject of homecoming, though in a far more serious way.

Female-led tales

Some of TIFF's most talked about films this year were female-centric stories starring some of Hollywood’s most talented actresses. "Wild," "Maps to the Stars," “A Little Chaos,” “Laggies,” and "Still Alice" - all movies about women - were given the top-tier Gala premiere treatment at TIFF, representing about a quarter of all the Gala presentations at the 2014 fest. A range of other high profile films about women, including "Clouds of Sils Maria," “Shelter,” “Coming Home,” "The Keeping Room," and "In Her Place" were also given top billing in the festival’s other programmes. As a whole, these films represent some of the most well-reviewed movies appearing at Toronto this year, and feature some of 2014’s most acclaimed performances (see: Reese Witherspoon in “Wild” and Julianne Moore in both “Maps” and “Still Alice”). However, these female-led tales are still a rarity, both at TIFF and in the film industry in general. The fantastic showing by women at TIFF 2014 is sure to help change that though.

The 2014 Toronto International Film Festival runs through to Sept. 14.