The Change of Seasons

It's official - adjusting for inflation, the Summer of 2014 was the worst at the domestic box office since 1997 - a 15% decline from last year. There were plenty of bright spots, Guardians of the Galaxy, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Snowpiercer and Edge of Tomorrow. But as well reviewed as Edge was, the bland title and confused marketing saw the film only take in $99.9 million, a huge disappointment for a movie that cost $250 million. The tepid haul only tells part of the story, as overseas box office was much stronger in some cases. Still, while Guardians will be remembered as the hero of the summer and Sin City 2: A Dame to Kill For as the pariah poster child, it's pretty clear that audiences are looking for films that are fresh and surprising.

So as the calendar page flips, Hollywood turns its attention to Telluride and Toronto, where an exciting crop of new awards candidates are turning festival audience's heads and capturing plenty of raves.

Birdman, from Babel director Alejandro González Iñárritu is a two-hour film that creates the illusion of one continuous take - a black comedy of about an actor (Michael Keaton) who once played an iconic superhero trying to reclaim control of his career, his life - and himself. 

Foxcatcher - The shockingly true story of Olympic gold medal-winning brothers and their tragic encounter with billionaire benefactor John du Pont, played by Steve Carell, in a dazzling turn of casting against type. Directed by Moneyball's Bennett Miller, Foxcatcher has garnered tremendous admiration. 

The Imitation Game - Word is this is the triump of Benedict Cumberbatch, a biopic about mathematician Alan Turing, who became a World War II codebreaker, showing both his triumphs and personal tragedies. 

Wild - Director Jean-Marc Vallée's follow-up to his smashing Dallas Buyers Club, serves up a rugged adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's acclaimed account of her 1,110-mile hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Her story of self and survival lets Reese Witherspoon deliver her finest performance in ages, and the numerous devotees of the book should make this a huge hit.  

Given Telluride's track record for discovering Best Picture Oscar winners, the odds right now are favoring one of these four films (and one of these actors) winning the gold derby this year. The Judge, St. Vincent, The Theory of Everything, Inherent Vice - there are plenty of other candidates who may still emerge and steal some thunder - Toronto is still unspooling, so anything's possible.

But for now, anyway, the superhero capes are being hung up and the robots are off to get their oil changed. Different kinds of movies are about to take the stage and it will be interesting to see how these initial buzz-loves translate beyond the festival circuit as audiences hungry for a fresh breeze begin to discover them.