Page 14 - Boca Exposure - May '23

Page 14, Boca Exposure
Book Review

The Chateau enough of such mysteries: a they were all students at a university in France, and have been
murder takes place; a number
close ever since. Victoria (whom all call “Vix”) has always
By Nils A. Shapiro of people have reasons to be been a struggling artist, withholding from Darcy for many
(Note: While preparing considered suspects, and we are years the fact that Seraphine has been helping to support her
to write this review, I tempted throughout to guess the art efforts with monthly financial aid. Now Vix, a lesbian, is
discovered that there have guilty party. But in the hands of recovering from disfiguring cancer surgery only to learn that
been five or six earlier this gifted writer, the journey is her lover, Juliet, plans to break up their relationship.
books published with the an exceptional treat. Their other New York friend from university days is Jade,
same title, The Chateau, Seraphine Demarglasse, a a Jewish woman who is attractive, stays fit and is happily
by different authors. The woman in her 90s, is the lady married. But Jade has never forgotten when Darcy brought
subject of my review here of the magnificent chateau in her and Vix to the chateau for the first time during a school
is a novel by Jaclyn Goldis, Provence, France, in which the vacation, and as they entered through the big iron gates she
which will be published action takes place. She lives saw Seraphine’s family crest … and recognized with shock
officially on May 23.) alone, except for her longtime how that symbol and name had impacted Jade’s own family’s
Of the almost 200 books I have reviewed over the past 16 housekeeper-cook, Sylvie, and the groundskeeper, Raph. history during the Nazi occupation of World War II!
years, I cannot recall the last time the subject was a mystery Seraphine has invited her granddaughter, Darcy – who The fourth woman is Arabelle, housekeeper Sylvie’s
novel. As regular readers of this column know, I prefer works now lives in New York – and three of Darcy’s girlfriends to own granddaughter who, when her parents died while she
of nonfiction, and even when I stray from my preference this the Chateau for a visit. Twenty years earlier, the four friends was just a child, came to live with her grandmother in the
particular genre is not my usual choice. studied together at a French university and had visited the chateau. Arabelle has known Darcy almost her entire life
But when The Chateau was suggested to me by someone elderly woman on vacations. But now Seraphine announces and attended the same university with her and the other girls.
whose judgment I trust, my initial reaction was overridden that she has a very special reason for her invitation: a secret Having learned many skills from Sylvie, Arabelle opened an
by what I felt was my obligation to see if the book would be that she will explain to all of them in person. inn after getting married. But her husband left and she has
of interest to the readers of this column to whom, after all, But Seraphine is murdered during the weekend of that decided to return to the chateau to help Sylvie in the kitchen
my monthly efforts are dedicated. visit, the night before she is to divulge her secret. and to care for her.
Since I am not a fan of contemporary mystery novels Of course, each of the women has a reason to wish the The author tells her story entirely through the eyes of her
– although as a teen I read the complete Sherlock Holmes elderly woman dead, and it is up to the reader to try to guess characters. Each brief chapter begins with a name: Darcy …
mysteries that my parents owned in our home library, and the guilty party as the story unfolds. Dade … Arabelle … and so on, and all that occurs during
have read a couple of Agatha Christies – I cannot claim to be Darcy, Seraphine’s granddaughter, had married an that time is seen and told through that character’s eyes
an expert of the genre. But I am absolutely prepared to state American and lives in New York with her husband, Oliver, and perspective. As a result, I found myself scrutinizing
that, on the basis of The Chateau alone, in terms of writing and their two young children. Although they have financial every word to see if I could pick up a hint as to the guilt or
skills Jaclyn Goldis stands with the best of them! problems, Darcy has been reluctant to ask her grandmother innocence of each of the characters … a slip of the tongue, a
The more involved I became in this murder mystery the for help despite the enormous wealth of the chateau that word here or there that might betray the truth. As with every
more impressed I was with author Jaclyn Goldis’s seductive boasts, as just examples, original Van Gogh and Renoir reader of murder mysteries, I had my hunches, but had to
story line, exquisitely descriptive narrative style, detailed paintings on the walls. Oliver decides that he and the children wait until the very end – just as I suspect you will.
character studies, and a feel for fluid dialogue so natural I will join her on the trip to France, but will stay in a nearby The one confession I will make is that, while I may still not
couldn’t help but compare it to that of the masterful dialogue hotel (not be a part of the chateau visit) and make a family be a big fan of murder mysteries in general, the next time I note
treatment in the Stephen King novel I had admired. vacation of it afterward. Jaclyn Goldis’s name as the author of a new book, it will be a
Without giving away more than you need to know—no Two friends of Darcy who have been invited to visit the must-read for me. It should be for you, too, starting with The
spoilers here—the basic premise of The Chateau is typical chateau again are also New Yorkers whom Darcy met when Chateau. Read the book before the inevitable film comes out.
Film Review: Still Time

By Nils A. Shapiro superb performances as if witnessing real-life experiences. So emotionally involving is the screenplay (by director
Dante is a happily One morning later – and for each of a series of successive Alessandro Aronadio and Renato Sannio), and the superb
married man with a mornings – Dante awakens to find that he is another birthday performances by Dante (Eduardo Leo) and Francesca (Francesca
beautiful and loving wife older … with no memory of any of those missing years! Cavallin) and the entire cast, that my wife had to reach for a box
Francesca, a nice home, In some ways he has physically changed: a mustache … of Kleenex tissues during a scene late in the film between Dante
many friends and a good job an unshaven look … and strangely, a daughter who also and his ailing elderly father.
– his one fault a tendency to grows older before his eyes each day. But most importantly, Although introduced in 2022 in Europe under the title, Era
be a workaholic, spending a devastating deterioration in his marriage evolves from his Ora, this film was not released in the United States until March
so much time at his office focus on work over family – and, finally, from an act on his part 2023. If that makes it eligible for consideration in next year’s
that he has little left to help about which he, ironically and frustratingly, has no knowledge Academy Awards category of Foreign Films, my bet is on Still
support and encourage nor memory … until he must finally seek a way to understand, Time to be a leading nominee for the Oscar.
Francesca’s own budding and resolve, what is most important in his life. There is still time to watch it on Netflix. Highly recommended.
career as an artist.
On Dante’s 40th
birthday, Francesca
invites a large group of
their friends for a beautiful surprise party, with tables full
of food and drinks, to greet Dante when he returns home
from work. Leaving late from his office, then getting stuck
in bumper-to-bumper traffic, by the time he arrives home
most of his wife’s effort has been a waste … typical of the
disappointment she has come to expect of him. Still, Francesca Stylish Modern Atmosphere Make Reservations happy hour
as a loving wife forgives him. Mon. - Thurs.
The next morning, as Dante sits down to breakfast before at Bar Only all Day
leaving for work, he notices something strange about his wife,
and in the course of conversation discovers that she is soon due Mon. - Fri. 3 - 6 pm
to give birth, that this day is his 41st birthday … and that a full inside Only
year has gone by since he went to bed “last night!”
So begins an extraordinarily interesting, creative and Lunch SpeciaLS
enjoyable film. Still Time is a 2022 Italian production released every Day
just last month in the United States for the first time and streaming
$
now on Netflix. It is available either in the original Italian with starting at 11
English subtitles or dubbed perfectly and imperceptibly in
English, which is how my wife, Linda, and I watched it.
When Dante, completely confused by his forgotten lost year,
arrives at his office that day and tries to go to his usual desk,
everyone bursts into laughter at his mistake and points him to his
longtime personal assistant waiting for him in the doorway of the
director’s office. He suddenly realizes that he is now the director!
Somehow, during that missing year, he has been promoted to
replace his, and everyone else’s, boss. Later, at the end of the
day, when he takes the car keys out of his pocket and presses the
button to open the door, he realizes that what he has opened is
the door to an expensive new sports car that is now his. Clearly,
his workaholic habits have paid off – at least financially.
But the idea that money is not everything in life is a lesson that
Dante – and we as an audience – are soon to learn, in a brilliantly
written and directed film with a cast of actors so unfamiliar to
Americans that we are refreshingly able to share their uniformly