This British production feels like a TV film
and is the first in a planned series. I just liked the name and had no idea
what it was about. I thought maybe Potterish but no. Used bookshops should
be a bit haunted - the books unread, unsold, gathering dust - throwing a
fit and knocking things over. All the great British romantic poets throwing
hissy fits that no one reads poetry any more. Anyway, the upscale used book
shop here is the kind I could spend hours in browsing around. No paperbacks
allowed in this one. There is one used bookstore here in Bangkok that is
three narrow floors stuffed with books - mainly paperback- in any crevice
the owner could find. I love going there. And since most of the books came
from dead ex-pats it should be haunted.
This begins with Miss Willoughby as a ten year old girl at the funeral of
her parents who were clearly quite wealthy and have an enormous estate. The
dining room table could seat the Tabernacle Choir. A friend of her father
is her guardian and takes care of her. Ok, I thought not knowing anything
about the film - he is going to arrange her death and get the estate. No.
Instead he teaches her chess, history, Wing Chun and Tai Chi. Oh, ok this
is going to be a female action film - he is ex-military and she will be part
of some secretive unit to kill people. No. Instead she grows up to be a professor
and is played by Nathalie Cox and the guardian becomes Kelsey Grammer. In
truth, if I had known Kelsey was in it, I never would have watched this.
He has annoyed me since Cheers. But by the time I knew, it was too late to
turn it off. And he is fine in small doses though why he is still there 20
years later and seemingly has taken a vow of chastity is a mystery in itself.
An older couple ask for her help. The wife has been seeing strange occurrences
in her book store of books falling, wailing sounds and an apparition of her
dead father. Is this a haunted tale or a mystery – actually a little bit
of both. I think my favorite part was the real estate developer who was the
spitting image of Ted Cruz with full beard and just as sleazy. Nothing too
clever here but it has that cozy English mystery feel. My mother would have
enjoyed this.
