In Toronto, Seeking a Morsel of Substance From the Stars

September 10, 2012, 9:58 pm

By MICHAEL CIEPLY

TORONTO - So many stars, so little to say.

It is the inescapable truth of the festival here that it draws legions of stars and filmmakers, gives them one of the friendliest forums on the face of the earth - and, by and large, they say nothing.

Not anything of interest, anyway.

“I think there's an attraction to an iconic person.”

That's about as close as Laura Linney came to saying something that meant anything as she walked the red carpet in advance of a screening of “Hyde Park on Hudson” on Monday evening. She was trying to explain why her co-star, Bill Murray, might have been drawn to the unlikely task of portraying Franklin D. Roosevelt.

It's a legitimate question. S he had worked with Mr. Murray for months and might have some clue as to what makes him tick. But, sorry, fans, we're not telling you.

It was better by half, anyway, than Tom Hanks at the “Cloud Atlas” press conference, where he went through the usual “aw-shucks, I'm just doing my job” routine. He did get off one shot that was half-interesting. Asked a dopey question about how stars use their power, he said: “If I truly had power, I'd be water-skiing right now.”

Anyone who has dealt with Hollywood actors, writers and directors in an off-the-record context knows that they are some of the smartest people on earth. But they aren't about to give it away in a public place like the Toronto International Film Festival. The upside to candor is too small; the downside too great.

So what you get is an endlessly repetitive, canned recitation that is actually less interesting than the panel discussions at Comic-Con, where, at least, some folks let their hai r down.

Straining for the last two days to hear a word of wit, wisdom or wonderment from the people who make these movies, we heard only a few. The siblings Lana and Andy Wachowski, talking about “Cloud Atlas,” may actually have touched something profound when they noted, as she put it, that the book, “Cloud Atlas,” “affects your brain.”

Mr. Wachowski extended that thought. “You become the editor when you read the book.”