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The Opening Night film, Valley of Love, directed by Guillaume Nicloux, is an uneven mix of drama, comedy and the supernatural. Gérard (Gérard Depardieu) and Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert), a divorced couple, meet for the first time in years at Death Valley in California after they both receive a letter from their deceased son with an itinerary to follow for them to meet be able to meet him. While both Depardieu and Huppert's performances rise above the material, it's not enough to save it from being lackluster more often than not as the film crawls ever so slowly to its bizarre ending. They've both been in far better films in the past. The scenery looks nice, at least. For a much more riveting, profound and intelligent study of how parents deal with grief incorporating the supernatural, check out Don't Look Now from the 1970's. Strand Releasing opens Valley of Love on March 25th, 2016. The best film of this festival is Disorder, directed by Alice Winocour, about a war veteran, Vincent (Matthias Schoenaerts), who works as a bodyguard for Jessie (Diane Kruger), the wife of a wealthy businessman. The more that Vincent spends time with Jessie, the more he suspects her husband might be involved in criminal activity. Winocour builds the tension gradually without relying on excessive violence to generate intensity. She truly provides audiences with a portal into the mind of Vincent so that they're along with him for the unpredictable ride. It's best to see Disorder on the big screen with a good sound system because the film's sound becomes a character in itself. Winocour also leaves enough room for interpretation regarding backstory or any other kind of explanations that would be considered too Hollywood. This is in many ways an un-Hollywood film because it's has both style, nuance and substance while not relying on exposition. Most importantly, though, Winocour trusts the audience's patience and intelligence. Sundance Selects opens Disorder in August 2016.



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Avi Offer
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