179 Double star shines

In the blink of an eye, the 35th Toronto International Film Festival had reached its two-thirds mark, leaving only the final three days. The annual grand event was about to draw its curtains. As the festival entered its second half, it finally reached the long-awaited climax!

First, "Buried" unexpectedly became a hot topic, overshadowing "The Town" and taking the spotlight. This even led to calls for additional screenings, to which the Toronto Film Festival committee responded by scheduling an extra screening to satisfy the demand of more audiences. Although it was just one additional screening, it marked a breakthrough, and its rarity was especially appreciated.

Following that was the intense attention drawn by "127 Hours" across North America. Audiences experiencing nausea and even fainting during the film due to the graphic scene where the male protagonist amputates his own arm with a small knife became a point of discussion. This not only ignited fervent debates about the movie itself but also attracted more audience attention and curiosity. Moreover, the film itself received unanimous acclaim from critics who considered Danny Boyle's creation, following "Slumdog Millionaire", another Oscar-worthy piece.

Soon after, the global premiere of the Danish film "In a Better World" triggered a frenzy of media coverage. Paired with the earlier release of "Incendies", they formed a foreign-language film alliance, immediately becoming the top two contenders for the Best Foreign Language Film in this year's award season, garnering significant attention.

It seemed that every day brought forth new hot topics, steadily propelling the atmosphere of the Toronto Film Festival towards its peak. Today, "Black Swan" was set to premiere, and people were collectively mobilizing for it.

This movie, from the director to the actors, was undoubtedly a heavyweight. It had garnered significant attention during its pre-production phase, and after receiving unanimous acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, the cast and crew had just arrived in Toronto, receiving the highest level of welcome. Audiences had waited and waited, finally reaching the moment when this work would screen in North America. How could they not be excited?

Beneath the brilliant spotlight of the "Black Swan" premiere ceremony, discussions about both "Buried" and "127 Hours" continued, igniting the audience's enthusiasm for debate.

These two films indeed shared numerous similarities: both were independent films, both told survival stories in dire circumstances, both provided a solo stage for their protagonists, and both were creations that showcased both the director's and male lead's brilliance.

Although "127 Hours" was certainly on a larger scale overall, with a solo performance time of roughly two-thirds, featuring a significant number of other actors, and costing around six times as much as "Buried", it was hard not to naturally compare the two films when one followed the other.

Particularly as praise for James Franco's acting abilities began to rise.

In the official program for "127 Hours", ten media outlets gave seven positive reviews, two neutral ones, and one negative review. Overall, the movie's reputation slightly outshone "Buried". Echoing Renly's opinion, critics also showered Danny Boyle with praise, unanimously believing that he had once again delivered an outstanding work, bringing a nearly impossible-to-adapt story to the big screen. The affirmation of James Franco's performance was also substantial, although the director and the screenplay claimed a significant share of attention.

Hollywood Reporter stated, "The talents of Boyle and Franco guarantee the film's success."

The Wall Street Journal commented, "James Franco's portrayal of this role undoubtedly required immense courage, and the results are remarkable."

Among them, the affirmation from Los Angeles Times was the most straightforward, "This is the most outstanding performance in James Franco's acting career! Every expression on his humor-filled face breathes life into the character."

Though Danny Boyle had managed to steal some of the limelight, James Franco received his fair share of recognition as well. Some local Toronto media outlets even began to exclaim, "Franco is on the road to the Oscars!"

Naturally, Renly and James were inevitably compared:

Both of them were young individuals. Although James was already thirty-one years old this year, in the Oscar best actor selection system, both were still considered young. Both of them were the sole protagonists in their respective films, carrying the weight of the narrative on their shoulders, exhibiting extraordinary courage and delicate performances on the screen. Moreover, both of their performances had garnered unanimous praise from the media, with mentions of the Oscars accompanying their names... implying that they could very well become direct competitors in this year's award season.

In the process of Oscar selection, the jurors' preference for younger talents was an unspoken rule, especially in the race for Best Actor. While every few years, a newcomer or a young actor might appear on the Best Actor nominee list, representing the Academy's recognition of the younger generation's talent, a nomination itself was already a victory. And since there was a limited number of slots, it was quite rare for two young actors to be nominated together.

In other words, between Renly and James, there was a high chance of it becoming a "survival of the fittest" situation—only one of them could make it to the nominations, and there was a greater likelihood that both of them would be left out.

Moreover, the selection process for Oscar acting awards wasn't a mathematical equation; it didn't follow a fixed formula. More often than not, it was a result of professional judgment and psychological leanings. For instance, last year's Jeff Bridges received votes due to both merit and guilt factors, combined with numerous critics' acclaim. Academy members might not even have watched "Crazy Heart" and yet voted for Jeff. Such occurrences were not uncommon. When "Brokeback Mountain" lost to "Crash", many jurors openly admitted that they hadn't watched "Brokeback Mountain".

Generally, to secure a nomination, a contender either belonged to the "acting prowess" category, where the actor's performance was exceptional and overshadowed the mediocrity of the work, leaving the audience stunned by the brilliance of the performance—much like Meryl Streep's portrayal in "The Iron Lady".

Or the contender belonged to the "outstanding work" category, where the actor's performance might not be groundbreaking but was solidly executed, and the film itself garnered critical acclaim, even contending for Best Picture. People selecting the Best Picture might also cast their votes for the associated actors, like Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams in "Spotlight". It was rare for a contender to meet both conditions simultaneously, and throughout Oscar history, works that met such standards were few and far between.

This was the predicament these two young individuals now faced. "Buried" had a slightly lower overall quality, but Renly's performance received more praise. "127 Hours", on the other hand, reversed the situation: James' spotlight was overshadowed by Danny's direction, but the film's overall quality garnered greater acclaim.

This all pointed to the same conclusion—the jurors might have to choose between Renly and James.

Moreover, the award season had yet to unfold, and the true heavyweights hadn't even made their appearances. After October arrived, the voices of these two young individuals might fade away in an instant. Nobody would remember the discussion that had taken place at the Toronto International Film Festival. So, with only one choice between the two, who should they ultimately choose?

"I haven't watched "127 Hours" yet. I believe James is an outstanding actor. However, personally, Renly's performance in "Buried" left me astonished." This was Ryan Gosling's point of view expressed during an interview. When the interviewer brought up the chance of "Blue Valentine" during this year's award season, Ryan laughed heartily, "Thank you for remembering this has-been actor. But between me and Renly, I'd choose Renly."

Jon Hamm also shared his perspective. "Without a doubt, James Franco is an exceptional actor. Whether it's "Pineapple Express" or "Milk", you can see his brilliance. This time, Danny Boyle provided him with a stage, and he stunned everyone just like that. Of course, we can't forget "Howl" from this year."

Unintentionally, more and more people joined in this discussion. Stars at the Toronto International Film Festival became the subjects of inquiries. Clearly, James, who had already been in Hollywood for a decade, had garnered most of the support. Only a small group mentioned Renly's performance at the Emmy Awards, expressing anticipation for him. Of course, nobody took it seriously; everyone treated it as post-dinner gossip, adding a bit of fun to the film festival.

However, with the discussions gaining momentum, the temperature of the topic far exceeded expectations. The audience's response to "Buried" had exceeded expectations. Most viewers remarked that the film's excitement and intensity surpassed their expectations, especially since the official program book had heaped more praise on "127 Hours". The roller-coaster-like experience of watching "Buried" won over the audience. "127 Hours" had taken a considerable amount of time for flashbacks and character development. In terms of smooth viewing experience, it naturally fell short of "Buried". This led "Buried" to earn a batch of positive reviews.

Simultaneously, thanks to the popularity of the topic, Renly became the core of everyone's discussion. "Outstanding! Truly outstanding! It's hard to imagine he's still a newcomer. In fact, I think he's the sole reason for the success of the entire work..."

Among them, many audience members voluntarily brought up the competition between Renly and James. "Personally, I think Renly has the upper hand. His performance is more multifaceted. I love Renly's performance; it has a kind of shock value. I do like James, but Renly this time really impressed me..."

From a visual impact perspective and script structure, Renly's complete solo performance indeed held a slight advantage. But more importantly, what had started as a casual topic of conversation had spread throughout the Toronto International Film Festival. The dual brilliance of Renly and James was even enough to overshadow Ryan.

Under the influence of this trend, "Buried" once again successfully captured the public's attention. Just how brilliant was Renly's performance? Could the film truly be compared to "127 Hours"? Was the discussion about the film mere publicity or genuine substance? However, these questions were destined to remain unanswered.

Because, the screening slots at the Toronto International Film Festival had run out.