It is too bad this grieving French mother was not in Death Valley for the decennial “Desert Bloom.“ It would have been just the sort of sign she was hoping for. According to her son’s suicide notes, he promised to visit from beyond if she and his father (her ex) make a pilgrimage through the landmarks of Death Valley at certain appointed times. It seems unlikely, particularly to his father, but the guilt they carry compels them to do it anyway in Guillaume Nicloux’s ”Valley of Love."
It is one thing to give kids their space, but Isabelle and Gérard had not seen their son Michael in years. Each had later children with subsequent spouses, leaving Michael as a rather awkward reminder of their previous lives. There was also the business of his sexuality. Still, his partner reportedly never saw it coming. According to letters he wrote just before the end, Michael promises to appear to his parents if they stick to the itinerary he enclosed.
