Wrestler kicks butt in Toronto

The crowds of everyday movie-goers that pack the Toronto International Film Festival might be wildly enthusiastic -- does every film really deserve a standing ovation? -- but buyers so far seem to be keeping their wits about them.

"The Wrestler," fresh off its Golden Lion win this weekend in Venice, sold today after its screening, followed by an all-night bargaining session. Fox Searchlight has snagged the Darren Aronofsky worn-out-pro-wrestler-gets-another-beat-down tale for somewhere around $4 million. There's talk of an Oscar campaign for star Mickey Rourke.

That won't come cheap. All the better that the studio didn't overpay, since critics who've seen the flick say it'll be a tough sell to most multiplex monkeys (urban Canadians excepted).

For the sake of the limping indie movie business, glad to see cooler heads prevail than those at Sundance and other festivals where bidding can and does get out of hand, a set-up for disappointment at the boxoffice, ie "Hamlet 2." Focus Features' acquisition cost: $10 million, with marketing on top; return: $4.3 million to date.

Since "The Wrestler" was the first big deal of Toronto, expect more to come, with special attention to "Management" -- Steve Zahn's a romantic lead! -- and anything that isn't an Iraq war movie.