krocheav 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...

writers_reign Let's be clear from the start; the Academic-Pseud axis will be creaming in their pants once this hits their local art house because for every last one of them out there they can find a different 'meaning' and 'teach' and 'discuss' it for years which is of course what every one of them worth their 'trope' and/or 'spatial relationship' will do. Okay, it's a free country and if we'd all be better off if these people took up employment on sewage farms and spent their days shovelling real effluent instead of the paper kind live and let live right. Personally all I cared about was watching two of the finest actors on the planet, not just in France but in the world doing their thing which, over a lifetime they have honed to within an inch of its life. It's not really necessary to put these two in Death Valley, you can put them on Main Street, Moose Droppings, Iowa and get them to read an ad for hemorrhoid cream and they'd still turn in Oscar-winning performances.

arfdawg-1 The Plot: Valley of Love is a 2015 French film directed by Guillaume Nicloux, starring Gérard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert. It tells the story of two famous actors who used to be a couple and had a son 25 years ago. They reunite after the son's death, and receive a letter asking them to visit five places at Death Valley, which will make the son reappear. It was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.[I'm writing this review to set the record straight for all the mediocre reviewed jerks who were likely expecting a shoot 'em up movie.This is a FRENCH film. Yes, it's set in Western America, but it is a FRENCH film. If you know nothing about French movies, you'll probably hate this movie. But if you understand that French films deal with life differently than happy go lucky full of crap Hollywood, then you'll love this movie. As i do. It's real. No shellacking over the emotions.There is also an underlying truth to this movie with something similar happening to Depardieu and his own son that make it even more poignant.For me this movie is in line with some of the classic Depardieu movies made in the 70s and 80s before he sold out and just started showing up.But wait! There's more! About 2/3rds into the film it take a bit of a surreal/supernatural turn that reminds me a bit of Antonioni.This is truly a great movie.It makes you think and cry and think. Hollywood would never make it.

Reinier De Vlaam This is a strange movieA divorced couple gets letters from their son who committed suicide. When the son was 7 the mother left the family, never to see the son again and the father then put him in a boarding school, to see him rarely.They both get instructions to go to death valley and do some sight seeing together, then the son will appear to them once more he writes. This is however only a side element of the movie, the real thing is the interaction between the couple: The very huge Gerard Depardieu and the fragile Isabelle Huppert who came together on the screen 35 years ago, when they were still attractive, in the movie Loulou.The movie has some very memorable quotes that may or may not refer to the lives of the actorsGD: I have become fat IH: Well as long as you feel good GD: (irritated) do you think I feel good about itandGD: do you still love me IH: When you do not still love someone you were married to you never loved him anywayThe dull Americans with their fake smiles probably gives an idea how they think about Americans. The dead dog head in the toilet makes you wonder what the reference is.Al these moments make the movie very worthwhile, the reappearance of the son is only an excuse for the film. I found I wasn't so much wondering about if the son would really appear or not. I was much more fascinated by the odd moments, dialogs and the confrontation of the couple and how they have difficulty to talk about their personal problems.It is not a shockingly good movie but very fascinating