That sound you hear is the wishful thinking of movie pundits and critics making a tiny pop, like a dud firecracker, instead of the decisive “bang!” of a starter’s pistol, signaling the start of the Oscar race that usually happens during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival.

That’s because, while this year’s best-picture winner may in fact have played at TIFF 2012, there was no huge critical groundswell around a realistic contender, the way there was last year with “The Artist,” “The Descendants” and “Moneyball,” or the year before with “The Social Network” and “The King’s Speech.” (More…)