Actress Rachel Weisz attends "The Whistleblower" premiere after-party during the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 13, 2010 in Toronto.Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images
For some Toronto International Film Festival fans, anticipation swirls around such hot topics as: Will the buzz film Drive be as deliciously creepy as its trailer?
Others are already wondering whether the film's stars, Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan, will rock the red carpet.
No shame in admitting it, we say. And while the TIFF red carpet is no Oscar-style gown extravaganza, fest-watchers can count on everything from goddesses in couture to actors you'd swear are trying to get onto worst-dressed lists (Yes, we're talking to you, Sarah Silverman and Juliette Lewis).
We'll be watching the newest crop of starlets, including Elizabeth Olsen, the star of Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Hanna's Saoirse Ronan, finding their footing in the spotlight.
Some of film's iconic dames, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Fonda and Charlotte Rampling, will make it look easy.
But our money is on these five stars to dominate the red carpet with that heady mix of the right outfits and intense star wattage:
The It Girl: Smouldering brunette beauty Rachel Weisz will face the cameras to promote her new British spy thriller, Page Eight. The genre seems a match for her penchant for snug, body-conscious black gowns. Weisz also just happened to marry sexy Bond actor Daniel Craig amid a whiff of scandal that both may have abruptly left their spouses for each other.
The Siren: No one is claiming her TIFF movie, Americano, is any great shakes, but that's beside the point for Salma Hayek's red-carpet power. Not only is she glamorous and curvy, she's also married to one of the kingpins of European fashion, François-Henri Pinault. He's CEO of the group that owns Gucci and Yves St. Laurent, among others. Most recently, she wowed Venice in a grey Gucci Premiere gown at a Gucci-sponsored awards ceremony on Friday.
The Scene-Stealer: Madonna. Even if you say you don't care, you'll still crane your neck to check out what the enduring fashion plate has curated this time. She's reportedly on her way to promote the Wallis Simpson flick, W.E., which she directed. The movie is getting a critical thumbs down, but never mind. We're hoping for Wallis-esque finery. She wore an elegant grey Vionnet dress covered in a red butterfly print at the Venice film fest. We'd take that.
The Demure Fashion Geek: Vogue darling Carey Mulligan will be at TIFF for the much-hyped action thriller Drive. Her on-screen style looks a little schlubby in the film, but Mulligan is a style nerd à la Michelle Williams and Sofia Coppola. She knows her way around the cooler fashion labels, and goes for anti-bombshell chic with short hair, high necklines and vaguely 1950s dresses by labels such as Prada and Vionnet.
The Hipster Gent: Yes, finally, Ryan Gosling. While George Clooney will continue to hold court, all Cary Grant tuxedo and chiselled jaw, Canada's Gosling is edging into his heartthrob territory. Known for his waify, soulful shtick in movies like The Notebook and Half Nelson, he's beefier in his two big-name TIFF turns: Drive, with Mulligan, and Ides of March, with Clooney. But not so beefy he can't work his trademark skinny suit.