Review of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) by Hector C — 06 Jan 2013

Judi Dench is Evelyn Greenslade, a widow who has to sell her home to pay off her late husbandâ(TM)s debts. Maggie Smith is Muriel Donnelly, a bitter and racist ex-housekeeper who needs to receive treatment for her hip. Tom Wilkinson is a high court judge whoâ(TM)s wanted to retire for a long time. Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton portray a couple who have been married for 39 years, and since Nighyâ(TM)s Douglas invested all their savings in their daughter's internet business, the two find themselves unable to afford any sort of decent care home. Ronald Pickup is Norman Cousins, an aged lothario, who is unable to face up to his own age and seeks a new start with new possibilities and Celia Imrie portrays Madge Hardcastle, who has had several unsuccessful marriages and wants fun, adventure and a new man.

All these golden oldiesâ(TM) stories are intertwined when they all decide to move to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India. Run by Dev Patelâ(TM)s Sonny, who has a relationship with Evelynâ(TM)s bossâ(TM)s sister (got it?), the hotel is not what they had seen in the pictures, with birds in rooms, rooms without doors, phones that donâ(TM)t work etc. And as theyâ(TM)re old, they donâ(TM)t know how to fix it. This gag runs from the moment the film begins and it is quite funny, if youâ(TM)ve seen old people not knowing what theyâ(TM)re doing first hand.

But apart from that, the constant (for the first half only) racist remarks that leak from Murielâ(TM)s mouth, that, Iâ(TM)m sorry, are quite funny and one scene where, thinking she is getting into Sonnyâ(TM)s bed, Sonnyâ(TM)s girlfriend jumps into bed with Madge, the laughs donâ(TM)t exactly flow in this âCOMEDY-dramaâ?. But the film is dramatic, with a death, blossoming romances and many, many arguments between Sonny and his mother, Doug and Jean (the couple) and Muriel with various different Indians. The film also depicts the veteransâ(TM) lives before the move to India, with tears running and past lives reopened, the storyline just about suffices, thanks to drama outside of their time in India.

A cutesy little comedy-drama about a group of veterans looking for a new life, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel isnâ(TM)t hilarious nor gripping drama, but itâ(TM)ll just about do.