Best of TIFF '09: The Movies

Welcome to the morning after.

Yes, TIFF '09 is all said and done and everyone can go back to their regularly scheduled lives. The velvet ropes have been put back into storage, Sunday morning sleep-ins have been reinstated and that air of nervous excitement permeating a city brimming with so many beautiful people has been replaced by subway stress and a case of the Mondays.

But all is not lost. There were, of course, some standout films amid the 270 titles and the past 10 days introduced us to some new faces, allowed us to visit with the old and celebrated cinema in all its glory.

Here now is our list of the Best of TIFF '09, based on buzz, awards potential, audience reaction and critical consensus.

Up in the Air
Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: George Clooney, Vera Farmiga, Jason Bateman, Anna Kendrick
Bottom line: This tale of a lone wolf (Clooney, natch) who may finally have found a reason to settle is getting some serious Oscar buzz. Watch for brief but killer cameos from the likes of Zach Galifianakis, J. K. Simmons, a supporting role from wild man Danny McBride and Clooney at his most vulnerable.

Bright Star
Director: Jane Campion
Cast: Abbie Cornish, Ben Whishaw, Paul Schneider
Bottom line: This lushly-photographed tale of the epic, though short-lived, love between tragic Romantic poet John Keats (Whishaw) and whip-smart fashionista Fanny Brawne (Cornish) is a slow-burning period piece with a modern feel.

Youth in Revolt
Director: Miguel Arteta
Cast: Micheal Cera, Steve Buscemi, Portia Doubleday, Jean Smart, Justin Long, Fred Willard Bottom line: Brampton boy Cera plays ferociously smart Nick Twisp in this funny and clever take on the teen flick. Stellar soundtrack, quick dialogue and a moustachioed Cera makes this one a must-see coming-of-age tale.

Precious: Based on the novel 'Push' by Sapphire
Director: Lee Daniels
Cast: Gabourey "Gabby" Sidibe, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, Lenny Kravitz
Bottom line: Yes, Oprah and Tyler Perry served as exec producers on this harrowing story about an abused, impoverished teen living in Harlem in the late '80s. But the Mighty O's seal of approval should not overshadow Sidibe's astounding debut performance in this difficult, harsh but rewarding story of one girl's incredible strength.

A Serious Man
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Cast: Michael Stuhlbarg, Richard Kind, Fred Melamed, Sari Lennick
Bottom line: The Coens follow up last year's uneven TIFF entry Burn After Reading with A Serious Man, a contemplative, personal, serious meditation on the existence of God, told through the perspective of a Jewish professor who tries to do good in a world that has little interest in him. Likely the most autobiographical work yet from the talented twosome.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee
Director: Rebecca Miller
Cast: Robin Wright Penn, Alan Arkin, Keanu Reeves, Winona Ryder, Blake Lively
Bottom line: Wright Penn positively inhabits the lovely enigma that is Pippa Lee in this funny and honest look at forgiveness, identity, obligation and love. Reeves and Ryder impress with stellar supporting roles.

A Single Man
Director: Tom Ford
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Goode, Julianne Moore, Nicholas Hoult
Bottom line: Even if this movie was a disaster, which it isn't, it would still fill seats thanks to its director, former head of Gucci and effortlessly sexy Tom Ford. The man knows how to frame the male body and doesn't hesitate to indulge with slo-mo shots of hard bodies at work, all photographed in enough detail to evoke the glossy pages of Italian Vogue. And kudos to Firth for a nuanced performance as a professor mourning his lover's death.

Police, Adjective
Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Cast: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu
Bottom line: From the Romanian writer-director who picked up the 2006 Palme d'Or at Cannes comes this morality tale about police work and one officer's reluctance to arrest a young hash dealer, for fear of what it will do to his life. Quiet and powerful.