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
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.
Models Joan Smalls, Lara Stone, Kendall Jenner, Jourdan Dunn
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.
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.
The Scene at Cannes 2015: Red Carpet Premieres and Beyond (Updating Photos)
Marion Cotillard attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala, raised over $30 million for AIDS research and was presented by Bold Films and Harry Winston at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 21, 2015, in Cap d'Antibes, France.
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Event Chair Jake Gyllenhaal attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Kendall Jenner at amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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David Gandy attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Event Chair Diane Kruger attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Paris Hilton arrives for amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Eva Longoria attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Melissa George attends amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Lily Donaldson, Kendall Jenner, Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Lara Stone, Carine Roitfeld, Doutzen Kroes and Maryna Linchuk
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Nicole Kempel and Antonio Banderas attend amfAR's 22nd Cinema Against AIDS Gala
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Colin Farrell attends the after party for "The Lobster."
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Diane Kruger and Matthias Schoenaerts attend the premiere of "The Sea of Trees."
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Emma Stone attends a photocall for "Irrational Man."
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Rachel Weisz, Melanie Laurent, Emily Blunt and Sienna Miller attend IFP, Calvin Klein Collection & euphoria Calvin Klein celebrate Women in Film.
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Rachel Weisz attends the after party for "The Lobster."
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Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger and dj-composer Gesaffelstein attend the premiere of "The Sea of Trees."
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Rachel Brosnahan and Isabelle Huppert attend the premiere of "Louder Than Bombs."
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Naomi Watts attends the Opening Ceremony dinner.
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Bae Sung-Woo and Ko Ah-Sung attend the Premiere of "O Piseu" ("Office").
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Ben Whishaw attends a photocall for "The Lobster."
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Miranda Kerr at the Magnum 'Pink and Black' party
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Salma Hayek attends the Premiere of 'Il Racconto Dei Racconti' ('Tale Of Tales')
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Julianne Moore attends Premiere of 'Mad Max: Fury Road'
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Actor Sean Penn and Actress Charlize Theron attend the premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Michelle Rodriguez attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Naomi Watts attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Jane Seymour attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Zoe Kravitz attends Premiere of 'Mad "Max: Fury Road"
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Emma Miller attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Actress Fan Bingbing attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Sophie Marceau attends Premiere of "Mad Max: Fury Road"
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Jury members Ethan Coen, Sophie Marceau, Rossy de Palma, Guillermo del Toro, Rokia Traore, Xavier Dolan, Sienna Miller, Jake Gyllenhaal and Joel Coen
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Actress Natalie Portman and choreographer Benjamin Millepied.
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Natalie Portman brings her directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness" to Cannes this year.
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Jury member Sienna Miller.
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Actress Julianne Moore.
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Actress Lupita Nyong'o.
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Actress and stye icon Fan Bingbing.
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Un Certain Regard jury head Isabella Rossellini.
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Bar Rafaeli attends the opening ceremony and premiere of "La Tete Haut"
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Naomi Watts attends the opening ceremony and premiere of "La Tete Haut"
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Models Doutzen Kroes and Karlie Kloss attend the Opening Ceremony dinner.
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Actress Jane Seymour attends the Opening Ceremony dinner.
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French actress Frederique Bel attends the Opening Ceremony.
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Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Naomi Watts, Catherine Deneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal light up the Croisette