Portman, Firth get early Oscar buzz at TIFF

Natalie Portman’s role as a half-insane ballerina is generating rave revues at the Toronto International Film Festival.

TIFF is often where Oscar campaigns begin, and although it’s only a few days old critics are already trying to pick out next year’s winners. Natalie Portman’s performance as an unstable and ambitious ballerina in the thriller Black Swan appears an early favourite for the Best Actress nod, while Colin Firth’s turn as the stammering King George VI in The King’s Speech could net him his first statuette in Los Angeles next February. Other actors generating buzz include Milla Jovovich, who’s mostly known for her action hero role in the Resident Evil series but is shining in two heavier roles at TIFF, playing a young runaway in Dirty Girl and a convict’s dutiful wife in Stone.