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.

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.

Do not be confused by the title of writer and director Guillaume Nicloux' "Valley of Love". This is a French movie, so you may need subtitles unless you speak the language. It runs for slightly over 90 minutes and stars Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu in pretty much every scene from start to finish. These two have been among France's finest for a really long time and in this film here they show us that this is exactly where they still belong in 2016, both in their 60s now playing a divorced couple. They meet again as their deceased son wants them to briefly after committing suicide. Or did he really?

This is one of the core questions of the film, but it's all really just about the character study of the two protagonists. It's 95% drama for sure with this sad background of their meeting, but Dépardieu's talent makes up for occasional comic relief. You can think about him what you want looking at all the escapades and comments that were reported in the media, but the only thing that counts is what an outstanding actor he still is. He also has good chemistry with Huppert here and it was somewhat funny to watch them together in terms of proportions.

The most crucial recurring theme in the film was definitely death, not only because the entire thing takes place near/in Death Valley, but also with the story of their son, the cancer reference, the death of a marriage, very telling dream sequences and a lot more. To be honest, I was truly surprised that Dépardieu's character made it out of this film alive. I expected him to die any minute towards the end, but I guess his heart was still most intact in contrast to his bladder. "Valley of Love" is a pretty slow movie and not a lot is happening really which many voters may find unappealing, but I did not. What I did not like, however, was the reference to this strange rash, which became really important as it was also used dominantly in the final shot. This did not do too much for me sadly, which hurt the overall perception a bit. I cannot say this film had any really great moments, but it was pretty convincing thank to the one good and one great lead performance. I recommend it. If you like the actors, you will certainly not be let down.

This is a strange movie

A 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 actors

GD: I have become fat IH: Well as long as you feel good GD: (irritated) do you think I feel good about it

and

GD: do you still love me IH: When you do not still love someone you were married to you never loved him anyway

The 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

"Valley of Death" (2015 release from France; 94 min.) brings the story of Isabelle and Gerard. As the movie opens, we see Isabelle walking through a resort, suitcase-on-wheels in tow, and checking in her room. The next day or so, Gerard also checks in, and soon we understand that they area a long-divorced couple who are mourning the suicide of their 31 yr. old son Michael. In his suicide note, Michael invites his parents to be in Death Valley on November 12, 2014, where he promises to see them again. At this point we are 15 min. into the movie but to tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: while Isabelle Huppert and Gerard Depardieu have been in movies together before, it's been decades since the last time. Here they play a fictional version of themselves (at one point, a guest in the resort tells Gerard, 'hey I recognize you, what movie were you in again? do you mind giving me an autograph?", which Gerard signs as "Robert de Niro", ha!). Isabelle and Gerard (the movie characters) have not seen each other in YEARS, and now struggle to understand their son's death, and why they are in Death Valley anyway. Will Michael appear, as he promised? (I won't spoil....) Meanwhile, Isabelle and Gerad talk, and talk some more, and then yet some more. At least the photography (filmed in Death Valley) is eye candy from start to finish. Which is more than we can say about Depardieu, grossly overweight (and has been for years), shown way too many times with far too little clothing. I had the good fortune of visiting Death Valley a few years back, and was surprised how beautiful it was, truly a memorable visit and I'd readily recommend you do it if you have the chance (I did it as a day-long trip from Vegas, which is 2 hours away).

"Valley Of Love" premiered at the 2015 Cannes film festival. I can't recall whether it ever received a release in US theaters (and if it did, it bypassed Cincinnati). But I saw it at my local library the other day and immediately picked it up. The movie was okay, not great, not bad. The movie's entire raison d'être is to watch these giants of French cinema act together. For that alone, I'd have to give 7 or 8 stars, but alas, I can't as the underlying story is paper-thin. Even "Huppert" and "Depardieu" (as they are billed in the credits) can only do so much with the little material they are given here.

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.

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.

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.

Beautiful photography. Chilling soundtrack. Wonderful story. Excellent acting. A mesmirizing French forgotten gem! Only 11 reviews on Imdb, because it was only released on dvd in the US. And it's French. How many Americans watch French movies? This is quite an interesting and mesmirizing movie, although it is only suited for an arthouse audience.

Slowburning French lighthearted drama with a few chilling spiritual elements and some tongue in cheek jokes. Quite a serene and endearing story about loss. Only suited for an arthouse audience, yet highly recommended for all the fans of Gerard Depardieu and Isabelle Huppert, who both deliver excellent performances, as could be expected of such grandiose acting legends.

The story is about a suicide note in which the deceased son asks his 2 parents (Depardieu and Huppert) to visit a place in the desert where he will reappear again after his death. The story focusses on the grief of the 2 parents, while they are visiting the place their son had asked them to: Death Valley.

However depressing this story may sound, this movie goes way beyond just another simple story about loss and grief, because of these excellent directing and tremendous acting talents. Please give it a chance if you are into the more subtle and delicate kind of arthouse movies. You wont regret it. Advised to be watched with subtitles.

Reviewing "Valley of Love" is a great way for me to celebrate my 300 th review on Imdb . Thank you for reading !

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...