Review of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) by Jay M — 07 Dec 2015

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is that most elusive of phenomena: A great sequel. I was a big fan of the original, enjoying its beautiful sights, colourful characters and, above all, terrific sense of humour.

The follow up contains all of these elements, and reunites the central characters for yet more misadventures in India. Rather than being a cheap, lazy retread, *cough* Hangover Part 2, the film continues the character's journeys of self-discovery, and all of them are given issues to work through and decisions to make.

The various plot-lines aren't all given the same amount of attention, and as a result the movie is sometimes fairly uneven, but all of them are interesting and engaging in their own way. Dev Patel is still infinitely likable as the frantic hotel manager, and Maggie Smith is as wonderfully sardonic as she was the first time round, never failing to raise a laugh or at least a smile whenever she's on screen.

The dialogue is witty and often pretty insightful, and the sentiment feels deserved. One of the most enjoyable elements of the original was its tongue-in-cheek examination of old age, both in terms of physical deterioration and emotional fulfilment.

This element is still very much present here, with the characters enjoying their twilight years and rejoicing in the freedom that it brings, being afforded the chance to look back on their lives and the choices they made, both good and bad.

Admittedly, it's not as funny as the first one, and doesn't resonate as deeply, but there's still a lot to enjoy, laugh at and be touched by.