Can Eddie Redmayne. win a second Oscar in a row? It’s quite possible as Tom Hooper’s The Danish Girl made a stunning premiere tonight in Toronto. Hooper extends his streak from The King’s Speech and Les Miserables, making an exceptionally well crafted piece of cinema. Redmayne and costar Alicia Vikander are headed to all the awards and may even jump out as the lead candidates.

Ridley Scott’s made one of his very best movies with “The Martian,” starring Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. The crowd went crazy for it last night at the Toronto film Festival premiere at Roy Thompson Hall. If Matt Damon doesn’t get an Oscar nomination I’ll be very surprised. He is all over this movie, and has never been better or more charming. Keep an eye on him because played right, Matt could finally score Best Actor some 20 years after co-winning Best Screenplay for “Good Will Hunting.”

“The Martian” is also the first ever 3D movie ever shown at the Toronto Film Festival. I’m told a new technology was installed at Roy Thompson Hall. It did look beautiful and the glasses were comfortable for a change!

Jessica Chastain shines as the commander of the space craft who elects to leave Damon’s Mark Watney, a botanist and astronaut behind on Mars. I don’t want to give too much away. But Jessica told me after the screening how proud she was that her character, Melissa Lewis, makes the hard decisions in space and is also quite the intergalactic daredevil.

Jessica, ever gracious, introduced me to Tracy Dyson, a NASA astronaut who consulted on the film and gave Jessica serious instruction. Tracy is 46. She looks about ten years younger– but she’s spent a total of 189 days in space. I realize now that’s why she looks so good! Anyway, Dyson told me she approves of “The Martian.” She had in her posse one of the builders of the real space station, and he also gave thumbs up to the station in the movie.

“The only thing we may have stretched,” said Jessica, “is the storms. I’ve been told Mars’s atmosphere is too thin for the kinds of storms we have.” Okay, fair enough. Otherwise this highly technical, science- heavy film is spot on.

“The Martian” could do “Jurassic World” type business. It’s that good. But it also hinges on Damon, who is alone for some time on Mars in a kind of “Home Alone” scenario. Even though the script has jokey moments, they are only to counter the heaviness of Damon’s predicament. That part is serious. And so are the set design and cinematography.

This is the third time Damon has been sent into space — “Elysium” and “Interstellar” were earlier and didn’t work as well. The third time’s a charm. He’s how (wait for it) My Favorite Martian.

More reviews midday Saturday from some other excellent films– “Our Brand Is Crisis,” “Youth,” and “Miss Sharon Jones.”

Michael Moore opened the 40th Toronto Film Festival with his most optimistic, upbeat movie yet. Where to invade next. The title reflects a humorous travelog as Moore “invades” several countries to find the best in education, women’s rights, nutrition, and so on. Moore’s critics may be disarmed by his positive take on how America could learn lessons from the world. At the same time he doesn’t slap the U.S. but points out how areas could be improved. It’s funny too. Good work.

Moore joked before and after the screening- which received a massive standing ovation and cheers- that this was the first time he’d made a film without a distribution deal. He wanted to start the auction right away. Reps from all the movie companies were in the audience, and many — even studios like Paramount– were scrambling to see if they could make “Invade” their Oscar nominee this year in the documentary category.

The movie is a huge crowdpleaser. Unlike Moore’s investigative work in “Bowling for Columbine” and “Fahrenheit 911” this film takes a mellower, gentler approach. Moore sweeps the Western world looking for social improvements created but abandoned by the U.S. The movie is more about how America has lost its way and can find one back from looking at how other countries were inspired by us.

There are no “Gotcha” moments but Moore does get his digs in. Goldman Sachs’ Lloyd Blankfein gets a little zetz, and corporate America is certainly upbraided.

You always see Francine Maisler’s name on movie credits. She cast “Birdman.” This year she has “Steve Jobs.” She also put together the people in “Black Mass.”

If Scott Cooper’s movie about Whitey Bulger is a hit, and it will be, credit Francine. The cast of “Black Mass” following star Johnny Depp is pitch perfect without a mistake. The supporting players do exactly what they’re supposed to– illuminate Depp’s solid, if sometimes ephemeral, performance.

I am talking about Joel Edgerton as bad FBI guy John Connolly, Kevin Bacon as the CBI chief, Corey Stoll as the DA, Jesse Plemons as Bulger’s lackey, David Harbour as Edgerton’s partner, and Rory Cochrane as Bulger’s stooge. Peter Sarsgaard gives the most colorful and fun performance as as a druggie informant. Julianne Nicholson is harrowing as Edgerton’s wife.

The group of them are among the best ensembles ever, very Scorsese like. Indeed, director Scott Cooper has a made a violent but entertaining film that is Scorsese-ish. I guess there’s no getting around that. It’s from the Scorsese School of Gangster Movies. And that isn’t a bad thing.

Depp is the best he’s been in years, maybe since “Finding Neverland.” He’s low key, restrained, embedded in Bulger. His “Pirates” tics, which ran rampant in “The Lone Ranger,” are eradicated. His features are too fine, and his face a little too pretty to be an exact lookalike for Bulger, the psychopathic Boston gangster who killed people remorselessly with his bare hands. But Depp is great at the too-bright eyes shining from a dark skull.

What “Black Mass” doesn’t really explain is why Whitey is a murdering maniac and his brother, Bill, played with the usual panache by Benedict Cumberbatch, is the opposite: pillar of the community, suave, successful politician. All we know is they have a sainted Irish mother who’s also a card shark. Whitey, like most Depp characters, remains an enigma, and a cypher.

Will “Black Mass” bring Depp back to the Oscars. I think so. It’s hard to say. Edgerton is a cinch for Supporting nomination. Watch him toward the end when things start going against Connolly. Edgerton’s face actually collapses as Corey Stoll lays into him. Amazing.

You know I am crazy about Lily Tomlin in “Grandma.” She’s a solid Oscar contender. She has another “Senior” in the competition, and that’s very good news.

Charlotte Rampling gives an absolute knockout performance in IFC Films’ “45 Years.” She co-stars with legendary British actor Tom Courtenay as a childless couple facing their 45th anniversary with a big secret hanging over their heads. Geraldine James, one of my favorite Brit actresses, is their friend.

I’m going to tell you upfront that no one dies and no one is sick in “45 Years.” My first thought going in was that this was “Amour” or the Julie Christie Alzheimer’s movie “Away from Her.” It is neither. Kate and Jeff are extremely vital people with a subtle issue that eats away at them. The screenplay by director Andrew Haigh based on a short story by David Constantine is fascinating and beautifully turned out. There’s just enough wry humor in it, too, to keep it from getting maudlin.

Rampling is probably best known to American audiences lately from “Dexter.” Hah! She’s worked every year since 1965, when she was 19. Her most famous American movie roles are “The Night Porter” (1974) and Woody Allen’s “Stardust Memories” (1980). Her work is consistently top notch. But this is her best ever performance, capping a very proud career. Hooray for her!

Tom Courtenay is not chopped liver by any means. He will be cited come awards time too. For IFC this is like the elder “Boyhood” in a way. I hope they put some muscle into it. A beautiful study of marriage, of relationships, of wondering if we knew our own lives at all.

I told you when this started it would end badly. “Amazing Grace,” the 1972 documentary about Aretha Franklin, has been removed from the Toronto Film Festival. A court order took it out of Telluride. It was cancelled by the Chicago Film Festival. And now it’s over at TIFF.

There are legal and moral reasons abounding here. Aretha’s lawyers have a 2011 settlement signed by Allan Elliot in which he agreed not to release “Amazing Grace” without Franklin’s permission. Then Elliot went around and claimed he found a contract Franklin signed with Warner Music forty years ago. He just wants to release this movie, and Franklin be damned.

But the Colorado judge stopped it. I would guess the legal fees involved in fighting in Toronto are too much. Also, what judge will allow this to go forward without Aretha’s permission?

There’s nothing salacious in the movie. It’s a beautiful work that one day everyone will see. But when Aretha wants us to see it.