Review of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) by Indrani G — 03 Apr 2015

Despite its predictability (even more so than the first one!), over-saturation of characters and subplots, and the resultant unequal focus on certain stories, this sequel isn't all that bad, and will be a great laugh to anyone who liked the first.

While the last half-an-hour or so of this slightly overlong movie is all about (kind of) tying up loose ends and hits every predictable cliche you can imagine, the stuff leading up to it is quite funny. Maggie Smith as always steals the show, and there's some great dialogue all around. Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig are welcome editions to the ensemble, and Dev Patel's energy is infectious, though his character is a bit hard to like at times.

The script isn't as good this time around, but the actors are still clearly having a blast with the material, and I was having a blast a lot of the time, too. This is one of those cases where my brain tells me that the film was mediocre, but my heart tells me it was wonderful. So, if you liked the first one, give this one a go. If you didn't, steer clear. I think seeing the first one is a must though, as this film relies on your familiarity with the characters as well as your knowledge of their backgrounds, as many subplots carry over.