The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Blistering performances.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

After a long time i have seen something which gave a great pleasure. At first, i was overwhelmed by the cast but it turns out they managed to do their part very very well. Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie, Tom Wilkinson every one of them was splendid. The movie was a mixture of adventure, culture and obviously fun. It is highly recommended.

Sweet and naive J.Dench or sour - faced cynical M.Smith?That is the question. Both these formidable ladies play to their strengths here,comfortably stealing the film without breaking sweat. Although messrs Nighy and Pickup deliver their customary performances they are whistling into the wind. This is a slight tale of British pensioners retiring to live in India. Some find it Iiberating,,others vexing. There is nothing particularly entertaining or surprising on show but it is unobjectionable,almost soporific in tone. Quite why "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" has attracted such attention is not obvious to me. The apparent popularity of "Bollywood" to the main stream may account for this fascination,coupled with a jollop of post - colonial guilt . I can't help feeling that a more accurate picture of the British abroad can be gauged from "Benidorm". What The Garveys would make of Jaipur might be very different.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011): Dir: John Madden / Cast: Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Dev Patel: Delightful British comedy drama that present the illusion of a stress free vacation for the elderly, while its subjects arrive to phones that do not work, taps that drip in the night, doors that are non existent, and a culture they fail to understand. Director John Madden gave us Shakespeare in Love, but here he presents a somewhat modern take on Shakespearian themes with a touch of humour. Great ensemble cast includes Tom Wilkinson as someone coming to terms with the fact that he is gay and he returns to India in hopes to address a past relationship that he fears that he shamed. Judi Dench must deal with debts of her deceased husband, but finds employment and fulfilment during her time in India. Bill Nighy plays a frustrated and bullied husband who celebrates the culture around him while his wife of forty years complains constantly. Maggie Smith brings humour as a racist woman in need of a hip replacement, but her attitude is tested when confronted with the lifestyles around her. They all occupy this rundown hotel that is beloved with great enthusiasm by its young owner who himself is facing young love. Dev Patel plays the hotel manager who goes out of his way to please these guests and provide comic relief. While all is cheerful and innocent, it does present the dismiss of one marriage, as well as several subplots that are somewhat disjointed. That should not prevent adults from checking in and enjoying their time at the hotel elderly. Score: 8 / 10

There's been a body of complaints about The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel on the grounds it's insensitive to the Indian community and so on, and I respect those complaints. There's a body of complaints on the opposite end, who cry the well-worn trope of "political correctness" if one tries to criticise the western lens through which the movie is made.It is what is is, nothing more, nothing less. The movie was directed by a British man and the writers are British I believe, but I stand to be corrected so one should expect a Western lens to the movie. I mean even Slumdog Millionaire was directed by a British man!! Also, if the roles were reversed and the film was directed and written by Indians and set in the UK with Indian expatriates, you can expect every British stereotype to come to the fore, e.g. Buckingham Palace, politeness, Sherlock, Midsomer Murders, fry-ups, etc.I think there should be a remake of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, this time with an Indian director, and it would be interesting to see what unfolds.