'Boy' buzz and the Wright man for 'Atonement'

While the upcoming December releases "The Orphanage," "Juno" and "Atonement" have been the recipients of good buzz as the festival has progressed, another film is starting to generate strong word of mouth.

Coming in completely under the radar, "Boy A" is the sort of startling independent surprise you would more likely discover more at Sundance than Toronto. 

Quickly picked up by the Weinstein Co., "Boy" follows a 24-year-old British man (a fantastic Andrew Garfield) who has just been released from prison after being convicted as a child, along with his best friend, of the brutal murder of a young girl.

Because of his tabloid notoriety, the government assists him in creating a new identity when he's released, but the shy and self-conscious new "Jack" struggles to adjust to his adopted identity. 

Immediately after the screening of "Boy," I headed over to the public reception for "Atonement" where, coincidentally, I ran into the young actor. 

Garfield seemed overwhelmed by the praise his performance has received, stating several times "It was just made for TV." 

That may have been the case, but it's clear director John Crowley ("Intermission") had higher aspirations.

Garfield also told me he'd heard the Weinsteins don't plan on releasing the picture till 2008, as the film still needs some final tweaking in the mix and transfer. Audiences will have a bit of a wait, then, to discover "Boy," but Garfield is already on Hollywood's radar. 

The 24-year-old with dual American and British citizenship has supporting roles in both "Lions for Lambs" and "The Other Boleyn Girl."

As for the party iteslf, Keira Knightley spent most of her time at a private corner table, but a beaming James McAvoy and director Joe Wright made the rounds chatting it up with the press and local dignitaries. 

I congratulated Wright on his magnificent film, and he already sounded exhausted after back-to-back Venice Film Festival and Toronto appearances. 

"I'm glad it's winding down," Wright said. You'd think that after the award-season run for Wright's previous film, "Pride & Prejudice," the filmmaker would realize his ride is just beginning.

-- Gregory Ellwood