Every year a number of films premiere at the Toronto Film festival in hopes of obtaining Oscar buzz and starting out early in the awards race.

However, as usual a number of films disappoint and end up losing steam at the festival. Distributors end up changing their strategies and focusing on better received films. Already four days into the festival, that has been the case with many Oscar films.

One of the most anticipated films of the festival was by far "Freeheld" starring Ellen Page and Julianne Moore. The movie was heavily touted as a Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress contender for both actresses. However, the film was met with a lot of criticism and, while the actresses obtained raves, bad reviews always hurt Oscar chances. Last year the Best Actress field was extremely criticized for its lack of contenders and, as a result, Jennifer Aniston was able to enter the race with her heavily criticized "Cake." However, when it came down to the Academy, Aniston's film was overlooked for the well-respected "Two Days, One Night," which obtained Marion Cotillard her second Oscar nomination. With a crowded Best Actress field, Moore and Page will have a lot of work to do in order for the Academy to consider their work.

Also failing to make strides was "I Saw the Light." The Sony Pictures Classics release has been under the radar for some time but there was still an expectation that it could be an Oscar contender. The film stars Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen, two actors who were getting early buzz. The lackluster marketing on Sony's part was likely a signal of how the film would turn out. Last year Sony was active with three Oscar contenders, "Foxcatcher," "Whiplash" and "Mr. Turner," all of which went to every major festival and went on to get Oscar nominations. This year is not turning out to be the same. "I Saw the Light" was something that most critics disliked. Like "Freeheld," the leads got good notices but that will surely not hold up, especially with the ever-crowded Best Actor category.

Another film that was expected to be a big contender was "About Ray." However, most critics dismissed it for being overly simplistic in transgender topic. Starring Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon and Elle Fanning, the movie's September release was definitely a sign of what the Weinstein Company thought of it in terms of Oscar success.

David Gordon Green's "Our Brand Is Crisis" also opened to mixed reception as it won Sandra Bullock plaudits but the film itself was met with reserved reaction. That is not very surprising given the fact that Warner Bros. programmed it late into its release schedule. Last year Paramount attempted the same ploy with "Men, Women and Children" as the company dated the film a few weeks before Toronto. The result was a critical and box office flop. "Our Brand Is Crisis" may receive mixed reviews but with Bullock powering the film, expect it to be a box office hit if not an Oscar contender.

One film that was met with reserved reaction was "Dheepan." The film remains polarizing especially after winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. While France has not selected its Oscar contender, this film may not be the best choice, especially if critical reception is not great as other foreign film contenders.

However, the news was not sour all around. "Trumbo," starring Bryan Cranston, opened to warm reception as did "Truth" starring Cate Blanchett and Robert Redford. However, both films are still under the radar lacking true buzz. Maggie Smith's "The Lady in the Van" was also received with exception reviews. However, like "Truth" and "Trumbo," it still needs strong critics reception in order to get into the Oscar conversation.

"The Martian" made an impressive debut with many stating it was Ridley Scott's comeback film and this year's "Gravity" and "Interstellar." It will be interesting to see if Scott is finally able to return to the Oscar conversation after so many years of making sub-par and terribly received films.

Many festival favorites continued to gain traction including "Brooklyn" by Fox Searchlight, "Black Mass" with Johnny Depp, the Netflix drama "Beasts of No Nation," Andrew Haigh's "45 Years" with Charlotte Rampling, and Tom Hooper's "The Danish Girl." "Son of Saul," "The Club," "Room" and "Spotlight" were among winners as well at the festival.

There are still a number of films that have yet to premiere so it will be interesting to see which film ends up winning the People's Choice.