Valley of Love

Two of France’s busiest and most beloved performers—Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu—team up for a drama about connecting with the beyond. The two movie stars play two movie stars, aptly named Isabelle and Gérard. In VALLEY OF LOVE, they are a long-divorced couple who journey to Death Valley in California at the request of their mostly estranged adult son Michael, who committed suicide six months earlier. On the eve of his death, he wrote his parents letters with specific instructions of when to arrive and where to go in the national park, promising to “return briefly.” Seeking some sort of spiritual salve for their grief and guilt, Isabelle and Gérard agree to meet up at a sprawling ranch-resort, unsure of what awaits them in the vast desert landscapes. They try to navigate the daunting heat and the awkwardness of their relationship, while hoping for some closure with their son. Huppert and Depardieu have more than 300 acting credits between them, but they had not worked together on screen since starring in “Loulou” in 1980. It’s an endearing reunion. (In French with subtitles) –C.O.