A stong reaction and best actor prize for Colin Firth place Tom Ford’s A Single Man in the vanguard of hot titles that are expected to inject life into an otherwise muted first few days for US buyers in Toronto.

A typically cautious opening weekend in Toronto has been rendered even more subdued by the perilous global economy as buyers reported a lack of any breakout title here.

However hope springs eternal, to quote one acquisitions executive, and there was anticipation last night ahead of screenings of the social satire The Joneses with Demi Moore and David Duchovny and Atom Egoyan’s drama Chloe.

Today brings a chance to get a first look at Tim Blake Nelson’s Leaves Of Grass starring Ed Norton in a dual role as twins, Neil Jordan’s fantasy Ondine with Colin Farrell, and of course A Single Man.

The tough realities of today’s market means that buyers have not yet swooped on a film like Joe Dante’s 3D thriller The Hole, which has commercial appeal but perhaps not enough, one executive mused, to warrant a large P&A spend to launch it into a wide release.

Reaction has been mixed to the Michael Caine revenge saga Harry Brown and the Michael Douglas drama Solitary Man.

Todd Solondz’s much fancied Venice world premiere Life During Wartime plays this week and may also present opportunities for buyers.

“Nothing has captured the imagination in a big way,” one acquisitions executive said. “But there’s still a few strong contenders coming up this week and there are some promising projects in post that should be ready in time for Sundance.”

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