Valley of Love

'Valley of Love', the film written and made in 2015 by Guillaume Nicloux brings Gérard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert together on screen. These two formidable French actors had never acted together for 35 years in a film. In the meantime they became what the French call 'sacred monsters' they are two actors who - as the joke goes - could read the White Pages (if there still was such a thing) and fill the screen with the magic of their presence. On top of that, the story in the film takes place in Nevada, in the very special place which is Death Valley, a place where spectacular scenery and unique natural and physical phenomena meet, a place that has already fascinated many filmmakers (as an example - do you remember Antonioni's 'Zabriskie Point'?). Nicloux takes the two French heroes of his film right here, this is where he stages his strange and melancholic story. The result of these fascinating premises is a little less than the sum of the promises, but I believe that I've already mentioned enough reasons why 'Valley of Love' is a film that should not be ignored.

Isabelle (Huppert and Gerard (Depardieu) are a couple of actors, once in love, once married, separated for a long time. They had time to rebuild their lives, to start other families, other children were born. Their son, Michael, committed suicide six months before, and left a letter to each of them, with precise directions for them to reunite, spend a week together in the Death Valley, Nevada, and be every day, at precise times, in one of the spectacular places accompanied by legends of the desert, with the promise of his reappearance in one of these places. The week spent together is an opportunity for the two ex-husbands and lovers to find each other and themselves, to face the passage of time, the feelings for each other that have not completely disappeared at the breakup, and especially with guilt of not having able to ensure the self-confidence and life fulfilment of the child conceived together. The two feel permanently alien to the places, not only because of the extreme climate, and not only because they are French dealing with the Americanisms around them (including the intrusion of more or less desired admirers) but also because they do not resonate with the magnetism of the places. When the fantastic appears, they are overwhelmed.

The two formidable actors combine elements of their own biographies, and the impression the film left on me is that Guillaume Nicloux left them a considerable margin of freedom, including adding from their own experiences. Definitely the plot is quite thin and what gives consistency and colour to the film is the way Isabelle and Gerard interact with each other and with those around them. The scenes that contain the small cultural conflicts are funny and provide a necessary comic counterpoint, without which the general atmosphere would have been, I think, too gloomy. The final part includes a surprise and an opening to fantastic, many will probably like it but certainly not all. 'Valley of Love' is a French film set in the American desert, but the location is not accidental and plays an important role in the dynamics of the film's narrative and aesthetics. Viewers with a preference for European films have a much better chance of liking this film.

I love French films and have seen, perhaps, a couple thousand...which is definitely a lot for an American. So, I jumped at the chance to review "Valley of Love". After all, two actors who I have loved in many French movies star in this production, Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu and I was excited to see them again. Plus, sadly, too often actors in their golden years disappear from films...so it was wonderful to see folks in their 60s starring in a film. And, I must say, the film did not over-glamorize them...particularly Depardieu. He's definitely put on weight over the years and appears in boxer shorts during much of the film...a great way to say 'to hell with the world's obsession over weight, beauty and age'! Unfortunately, while I applaud the film for using these folks and de-glamorizing them, the script itself left me very, very cold.

The film is set in Death Valley, California in November. The folks continually complain how oppressively hot it is there, but this is only during the awful summer months when temperatures soar well over 49 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit). Despite what the film says, Novembers are lovely there with average temperatures 25C/77F...and very never a day approaching 38/120. So, ignore this mistake in the film...this huge national park is not all that inhospitable in the Fall.

Isabelle is staying at some resort...waiting. You aren't sure why but soon see that she'd joined by her -ex, Gérard. Slowly do you learn the very strange reason they are there. Apparently, six months earlier, their son killed himself...leaving a very strange letter for each of them. In the letter he promises that if they follow his itinerary exactly in November, he will briefly re-appear to them! This is very strange to say the least and it's pretty obvious that Gérard holds little stock in all this...though he did inexplicably agree to join Isabelle. Through much of their time together, the two are a miserable pair--rarely agreeing on anything and they are a rather crabby couple. It seems pretty obvious why they are no longer together and that they were lousy parents to their son.

What follows is an odd and somewhat surreal film...and one that leaves the viewer very confused as to what really has occurred. The ending is incredibly vague and the entire film left me dissatisfied. I didn't mind the vague ending as much as I just felt like the film wasted some terrific talent and could have done so much more with the characters. Not a terrible film...but one that I really wanted to love and recommend but simply can't.

Former couple Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert) and Gérard (Gérard Depardieu) reunites for a mysterious mission. They are semi-famous actors. They're married to others with kids dealing with personal issues. They were estranged from their son Michael who committed suicide. Then they got letters after his death promising to see them in Death Valley on a specific day after a schedule of places and times.

These are legendary French actors and it's fascinating to see them together as somewhat themselves out in the real world. It starts out as a compelling mystery as to what's going on. As the characters reveal the secret, the actors are free to become a real couple. That's what most compelling about this movie. These two actors project a real history. The ending is somewhat muddled. I'm not sure what's happening but maybe that's the movie.

This is a very simple - in some ways - and sad movie. A long-divorced couple learn of the suicide of their son, with whom they have been out of contact for years. He sends them each a letter, asking them to spend a week together at different sites in Death Valley (yes, in the U.S.), with the promise that he will appear to one of them.

They meet. They encounter a few dull Americans. They spend a lot of time out in the desert. Lots of old dirty laundry gets aired. The end makes no sense.

When I was walking out of the theater in the small Breton town where I saw this movie - fewer that 10 people had showed up to see it -the usher told me that it was based on the story of the death of Gérard Depardieu's son, Guillaume, and that Guillaume had been his son by Isabelle Hupert. Not true. Guillaume was Depardieu's son by his first wife, Elisabeth, and he did not commit suicide. Nor, as far as I know, was he gay. So much for instant legend.

What was good, indeed very good about this movie was the acting by the two principals. They are both first-rate actors, and they do wonders with what is often not first-rate dialogue.

For what it's worth, it's also interesting to see them as they are now, with NO makeup or attempt to hide what time has done to two formerly very handsome/beautiful individuals. Depardieu has become downright enormous, and not in a good way. He looks downright pitiful in shorts.

There is also some beautiful landscape shots of Death Valley.

Not a movie I would see twice, at least in the theater. But not a movie to overlook, either.

At the close of this movie I half expected the name Roman Polanski might appear. Many of the under-explored themes and situations bring to mind vague occult aspects from several of his works. First and foremost is the promise of a ghostly re-appearance by the dead son of two French movie actors. They've received letters from their son following his suicide - instructing both to meet in Death Valley USA at specific times - where he will mysteriously reveal himself to them one last time (If not yet seen and you don't want to know anything about it there may be some minor spoilers following...)

On the way to this event there are some bizarre happenings. The disturbing vision of a deformed girl in the middle of the night talking about death. A Wolf's (or Dog's) mutilated head in a bag, left in a toilet block. None of these situations are further explored - they just seem to happen for the sake of it. Cultists and film study groups will have a field day 'making-up' theories on the hidden deep and 'meaningful' messages.

Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert give strong performances playing their own 'names sake's' and Cinematographer Christophe Offenstein bathes it in glossy images. The haunting minimalist music by Charles Avers is effective and it's disappointing to find the composer's name not included on this IMDb listing (trust this may be remedied). Director/Writer Guillaume Nicloux seems bent on being the replacement for Polanski and nearly bores the viewer to death with endlessly-long walking shots of his stars going somewhere or nowhere. Sometimes it's mildly compelling but ultimately empty.

If you're into talkie supernatural themes or questions without answers you may find comfort here, otherwise be warned...