lifestyle THURSDAY, JULY 30, 2015 MUSIC & MOVIES This photo provided by This photo provided by courtesy of the Toronto International Film Festival and Oculus shows a Twentieth Century Fox shows Matt Damon as Mark Watney in a scene from the film, scene from the “The Martian,” directed by Ridley Scott. — AP short animation film, “Henry.” Oculus’ second Scott, Vallee head virtual reality film premiered Tuesday, in Beverly Toronto filmfest lineup Hills, Calif. —AP photos rganizers of the annual Toronto International Film Festival unveiled an Oambitious lineup Tuesday leading off with psychological drama “Demolition” by Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallee. “Alien” director Ridley Scott’s eagerly-awaited space Oculus debuts virtual adventure “The Martian” will also be among the highlights at the movie fest that runs September 10-20. But Quebecois Vallee is the only filmmaker in the festival’s 44-year history to both open and close the event. “Vallee has reality film ‘Henry’ a tradition of presenting strong characters who are on journeys to self-discovery and culus is hedging its bets that an ly rough. It’ll be much healthier to have a redemption,” said the festival’s artistic director adorable critter named Henry can help diverse ecosystem.” “Henry” is an entirely pas- Cameron Bailey. Ridley Scott Oconvince consumers - and Hollywood - sive experience that doesn’t require viewers “Demolition” tells the story of Davis, a about the viability of virtual reality as a story- to use a controller, other than tilting their brilliant investment banker played by Jake ema is not left out, with several major Gallic telling medium. The VR company, which head to see the action inside Henry’s tree- Gyllenhaal who must come to terms with names present, including Jacques Audiard Facebook acquired for nearly $2 billion last trunk abode. However, “Henry” director the death of his wife in a terrible automo- who will present his latest movie “Dheepan,” a year, debuted a 10-minute narrative experi- Ramiro Lopes Dau, a former animator at Pixar, bile accident. It portrays Davis, torn by the social drama about refugees from the civil ence starring the lonely hedgehog Henry dur- included the ability for the spikey character to pull between his professional obligations war in Sri Lanka living in France. Jean-Paul ing an invite-only event Tuesday at a private look directly at the user during the experi- and his family, in a hellish descent before an Rappeneau, meanwhile, returns to Toronto mansion in Beverly Hills. Inside, guests ence. unexpected encounter leads to his redemp- with “Belles Familles” (“Beautiful Families”), his donned consumer versions of the Oculus Rift “I think there’s room for all difference kinds tion. Co-stars include Chris Cooper and first feature film in a dozen years. headset and were offered a 360 degree Naomi Watts. Backed by an impressive cast including glimpse into Henry’s cartoony home as his “I can’t think of a better place to introduce notably Gilles Lellouche and Andre Dussollier, birthday wish magically came to life. ‘Demolition’ to the world than at home. That’s the drama features a company boss who, how I feel about TIFF,” Vallee said in a state- “Henry” is the second film from Oculus after a decade living in China, returns to his ment, referring to the festival. At least 22 oth- native village in France. Complications ensue. Story Studio, an internal production company er films will make their world debut at the Claude Lelouch will also return to Toronto to that Oculus established last year after gathering, including Scott’s “The Martian,” unveil for the first time his latest comedy “Un Facebook bought the VR company. “Lost,” the starring Matt Damon and adapted for the plus Une,” (“One Plus One”) starring Oscar- studio’s first short film, debuted at the screen from the hit sci-fi novel by US writer winning actor Jean Dujardin. The actor, who Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. “The This photo provided by Oculus shows a scene Andy Weir. The film tells the story of an astro- won an Academy Award for 2011’s black and goal with ‘Henry’ and these short films isn’t to from the short animation film, “Henry.” naut trapped on Mars after an emergency white hit “The Artist,” plays a composer travel- be an introduction to virtual reality,” said evacuation. Isolated hundreds of thousands ing to India for an adaptation of “Romeo and Oculus founder Palmer Luckey. “We’re trying game? Or something else entirely? “I don’t of miles from Earth with few ways of commu- Juliet.” His life is turned upside down by a to build things with Oculus Story Studio that think anyone really knows,” said Lopes Dau. nicating, he battles to survive in an unremit- chance encounter. other people can learn from and build better “Personally, I don’t care what it’s called. I just tingly hostile environment. Since its modest beginnings in 1976, the content from as a result.” Luckey added that want to make something that gives you an Controversial filmmaker Moore back Toronto filmfest has developed into arguably Oculus isn’t attempting to create a studio to emotion, tells you a story and is magical to Another hotly-anticipated US director is North America’s biggest movie festival, expand- rival Hollywood’s existing players. Instead, you. I don’t care if it’s called a game, a movie documentary-maker Michael Moore with his ing from 80 films in five theaters when it was with “Henry” and Oculus’ other work, the com- or something else.” comeback “Where to Invade Next?” Moore’s launched to nearly 400 films last year. In con- pany is seeking to demonstrate VR’s capability Oculus plans to bundle “Henry” and other first movie in six years, few details of which trast to Cannes or Berlin, Toronto does not have and inspire studios and production compa- Clara Valenstein tries out the Oculus virtual films and games for free with Oculus Rift. The have been released in advance, will have its an official competition. But it regularly high- nies to create content beyond promotional reality headset at the Facebook F8 company has not said how much the system, world premiere in Toronto. Programmers call lights films that go on to make it big in the efforts connected to other films and enter- Developers Conference in San Francisco. which will require a high-end PC to run, will the film provocative and hilarious. French cin- Oscars season climaxing early next year. — AFP tainment franchises. of experiences, where they can be more or cost when it launches early next year. The “In a perfect word, we’ll have all the major less interactive,” said Lopes Dau. “In the case of former start-up, which ignited the latest VR studios making tons of VR content because ‘Henry,’ it’s more about the character. We use obsession three years ago, now has several they’re making tons of money off of it,” said those moments when he’s happy or sad to competitors similarly diving headfirst into Luckey. “That would be much better for us look at you no matter where you’re standing.” the marketplace, including Valve and HTC’s than having to hold up the entire VR market- The introduction of interactivity in a piece of Vive headset and Sony’s Project Morpheus, place with our own content. Nintendo man- content referred to as a short film begs the which works in tandem with the PlayStation aged to do that with their games, but it’s real- question: Is “Henry” really a movie? Or is it a 4 console. — AP Review: ‘Tour’ a worthy look at artist as reluctant subject any journalists who have written feature pro- ing Lipsky, describes reading Wallace as feeling “your great themes that defined Wallace’s work, solitude in files of public figures will have experienced eyelids pulled open,” and providing the actual sensa- first position. It adopts the late writer’s perspective as Venice Biennale president Paolo Baratta and festival director Alberto Barbera Mthat light-bulb moment, once the cautious tion “of being David Foster Wallace.” That process of the apologetic representative of a privileged, over- pose before a press conference to present the upcoming 72nd Venice mutual-assessment phase is concluded and you start osmosis is an accurate enough description of what the educated generation frequently destined to find dis- International Film Festival in Rome yesterday. — AFP digging for the meat, when the subject perhaps casual- filmmakers achieve, invaluably assisted by Jason appointment in achievement. ly reveals some illuminating aspect of him- or herself Segel’s heartbreaking portrayal of the writer. This is a And it conveys the prescience of his vision of around which the entire article can be built. Those man of endless contradictions; he’s shaggy and evolving information technology, foreseeing a future Depp, Fiennes top moments come thick and fast in “The End of the Tour,” sleepy-headed but sharp and always questioning, in which smart people would be in danger of spend- James Ponsoldt’s exquisitely elegiac film about David wryly candid but then unexpectedly defensive and ing their lives sitting alone, “immersed in pure unal- Foster Wallace, examined over the course of a five-day guarded. The performance is easily Segel’s best work loyed pleasure.” Essentially, this is a film about existen- Venice film fest line-up interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky, 12 since “Freaks and Geeks,” devastating strictly on its tial emptiness, and yet it’s beautiful and alive, as filled years before the influential writer’s suicide in 2008 at own quiet terms. with humor as it is with melancholy.