Review of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) by Andi M — 29 Mar 2015

I had modest expectations for TSBEMH. I don't remember much about the first, other than it was a pleasant and predictable film. So I went to this one expecting the same thing, and it's exactly what I got. Predictable? Yes. Surprising? No. Good? Yup.

THE GOOD:

+ The acting is all great. All of these elderly all-star actors do fine performances, but nothing too special. Dev Patel gives a charming, but sometimes annoying performance. Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and all of the others were all enjoyable.

+ There were some good jokes and funny moments that had me smiling.

+ The musical score is surprisingly excellent, and it blends Indian and American classical music well.

+ The cinematography was great, showcasing India very well.

+ The plot is decent, with many separate stories coinciding.

+ The pace is quite good and rarely felt boring.

THE BAD:

- The plot is extremely predictable. I understood ahead of time that it would be predictable, but I predicted the ending of the film within the first ten minutes.

- There is nothing new, surprising or spectacular here. It was all okay, enjoyable fluff.

- Some lines were horrible and corny. The dialogue was often bland as well.

- The movie was very forgettable. It is more of a time waster than anything.

Overall, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was enjoyable and charming, but incredibly predictable and extremely forgettable. Wait for Netflix.

RATING: 6/10.