After the Toronto Film festival announced its official selection, the Oscar race has begun to take shape. The Best Actress race, however seems to be the weakest link of this year's competition.

The year is predicted to feature a number of veteran actresses and a number of previously nominated ones. The category has previously been won by Cate Blanchett, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep and Natalie Portman.

The biggest contender of the year is Amy Adams for her role in "Big Eyes." Adams plays the real figure of Margaret Keane and the Academy enjoys awarding biopics. Additionally, Adams has become a fixture at the Oscars, as she has already obtained five Academy Award nominations, and is now considered overdue. "Big Eyes" is also being distributed by the Weinstein Company and as a result it is a forgone conclusion that the company will be campaigning her performance very strongly.    

Another big contender is Reese Witherspoon for her role in "Wild." The actress has already won an Academy Award, but it has been nine years since her last win. Since then, she has not been in many acclaimed films and "Wild" may be her big comeback. Additionally, the film is directed by Jean-Marc Vallee, who recently led Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to Oscar wins. As a result, there is big hype and, based on the trailers, this could lead to Witherspoon's second Oscar.

Every time Meryl Streep makes a film, her performances get hype. This time, Streep is jumping into an iconic role in the musical "Into the Woods" and is generating a lot of Oscar buzz. Having been nominated 18 times and won three, audiences may already be fatigued by her nominations but the Academy still adores the actress.

Jessica Chastain has quickly become a favorite of the film community and of the Academy. This year, she could be in competition for two films. Her role in "The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby" garnered rave reviews at the Toronto and Cannes Film Festival. Additionally, the movie is being released by the Weinstein Company, which is known for its Oscar campaigns.

Chastain could also be nominated for "Miss Julie" which is premiering at the Toronto Film Festival. The role looks to be extremely gutsy and daring. However, the film has yet to receive distribution and it could be a bit too dark for the Academy.

Felicity Jones is one of the few contenders who has yet to be nominated. Over the past few years, her profile has grown, especially after her turns in "The Invisible Woman" and "Like Crazy." This year, she will be seen in "The Theory of Everything," based on the life of Stephen Hawking. Based on early trailers and word-of-mouth, the role looks promising. Additionally, the movie is opening at Toronto Film Festival where she could get early buzz.

Two contenders whose movies opened earlier this year could sneak in and surprise. Scarlett Johansson has never been nominated for an Oscar even though she has four Golden Globe nominations and a BAFTA award. This year, her role in "Under the Skin" has gotten her the best reviews of her career. The film not only received rave reviews but also broke out at the box office. However, the fact that it was released in April and that it is a bit experimental could turn off the Academy.

Meanwhile, Marion Cotillard could finally get back into the race for her role in "The Immigrant." Cotillard won her first Oscar in 2007 but ever since then she has been snubbed a number of times for her roles in "Rust and Bones" and "Nine." For "The Immigrant," Cotillard garnered universal acclaim and marked her first lead role in an English film. However, the Weinstein Company failed to give the movie a good marketing campaign and it ultimately failed at the box office. Given the lack of clarity in the race and the lack of contenders, the French actress could still surprise, especially if Critics Circle awards her performance.

Hilary Swank could be back in the Oscar conversation after a 10-year absence. Her role in "The Homesman" received a lot of buzz out of Cannes and the new distribution company Saban entertainment promised to give the movie a strong Oscar campaign. Still, the film itself failed to impress critics at Cannes.

Other big contenders this year include Maggie Smith for her role in "My Old Lady," Julianne Moore for "Map to the Stars" and Angelina Jolie for her work in "Maleficent."