Guillaume Nicloux’s “Valley of Love” and its iconic French stars Isabelle Huppert and Gérard Depardieu cozied up for a press conference and screening on Friday in Cannes, the international film festival’s 10th day of competition.
Though Huppert, TheWrap’s Cannes magazine cover star, and Depardieu are quintessential festival darlings, the film itself has disappointed critics and moviegoers dotting the Croisette (but worry not, Mr. Nicloux, they still hate “Sea of Trees” more).
“Beside ‘Sea of Trees,’ it looks like a veritable masterpiece. But this is a mid-grade sentimental potboiler that makes increasingly less sense as it becomes ever more taken up with spiritual baloney,” wrote Donald Clarke of the Irish Times.
The film tells of two fading actors who travel to California’s Death Valley upon instructions from their son, who committed suicide but poses he’ll return to greet them in the desolate location. It has a supernatural vibe with some holistic California quirks, according to critics, but ultimately Death Valley turns out to be an irresistible metaphor for the movie’s reception.
Guillaume Nicloux's Valley Of Love has a contrived, undeveloped premise — but a sweetly human performance from Gérard Depardieu #Cannes2015
— Peter Bradshaw (@PeterBradshaw1) May 21, 2015
Two legends of French cinema team up for the disappointing, dull 'Valley of Love'. #Cannes2015 http://t.co/4LvOUWgAKm pic.twitter.com/X3RzrUfVLN
— CineVue (@CineVue) May 22, 2015
amfAR’s Glittery Kiss Goodnight
Moved to the back end of the festival this year, amfAR held its annual fundraising gala at the Hôtel du Cap in Antibes with an embarrassment of stars: Adrien Brody, Marion Cotillard, Michael Fassbender, Tom Ford, Melissa George, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gigi Hadid, Lewis Hamilton, Eva Herzigova, Chanel Iman, Kendall Jenner, Harvey Keitel, Karlie Kloss, Zoë Kravitz, Eva Longoria, Sienna Miller, Irina Shayk, Dita von Teese, Mario Testino and Danish “It” girl Alicia Vikander all dressed to the nines for dinner and an art auction.
Raising over $30 million, notable art on the block included a Banksy piece titled “Copper on Cardboard” from the private collection of Leonardo DiCaprio, which sold for $1 million. DiCaprio also offered up a seat at his table for his eponymous foundation fundraiser in St. Tropez later this year. The surprise package, which also included a private dinner with Mr. DiCaprio, sold for $280,000.
See all the amfAR gala photos here.
Jury Heat
Xavier Dolan is a jury prize-winning wunderkind or Cannes l’enfant terrible, depending on who you ask, but he’s a great interview nonetheless. A 2015 jury member alongside the Coen Brothers, Sienna Miller and Jake Gyllenhaal, Dolan was confronted by Vanity Fair about a 2014 chat in which he confessed to “staying at home to masturbate in front of a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal.”
Vanity Fair: You spoke about having a crush on Jake Gyllenhaal in an interview last year. Is it hard to concentrate with him on the panel?
Xavier Dolan: [Grins] Is it hard? What part of me?
Cannes Notable Deals
Cohen Media Group will distribute early festival entry “Standing Tall” in the U.S., TheWrap has learned.
Broad Green Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to Brad Furman’s “The Infiltrator,” which stars Bryan Cranston as an undercover U.S. Customs agent who became a pivotal player for drug lords cleaning their dirty cash. BGP announced the deal on Thursday after negotiating the terms at Cannes, and said it plans to add the film to its growing 2016 slate.
“The Infiltrator,” which Ellen Brown Furman adapted from the autobiography of Robert Mazur, co-stars Diane Kruger (“Inglourious Basterds”), John Leguizamo (“Chef”), Benjamin Bratt (“Traffic”), Yul Vazquez (“Captain Phillips”) and Oscar nominee Amy Ryan (“Gone Baby Gone”). “The Infiltrator” is produced by Good Films’ Miriam Segal, with Bank Leumi, Good Films and LipSync co-financing the project.
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