The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Starring: Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith, Celia Imrie, Dev Patel, Ronald Pickup
Directed by: John Madden
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A group of British retirees move to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India. However, the hotel - and their experience - is not what they expected.

Review:

Tim: I heard very good things about The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, so I was excited to see this little film. The story is pretty average, but the incredibly cast elevates this movie quite a bit. The movie is enjoyable, funny, and it's well worth watching. I enjoyed this film and would consider it quite a good film.

The initial premise is interesting. We watch as seven British retirees move to India in a home for the elderly, the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. However, the hotel's owner inflated the living conditions quite a bit. Plus, the retirees have to deal with the cultural shock of living in India. Along the way, they grow, change, learn, and adapt. It's a pretty fun process watching this fish-out-of-water story, especially as we have seven different characters, each who approach their new environment in different ways. It's interesting to see the different perspectives and changes these elderly (but lively) people make.

While that is a strength, it also turns into a bit of a weakness. There's just so many different stories going on at the same time. Some of them are obviously more effective than others. There are a few cast members whose stories just aren't as interesting as others, so the film slows down considerably whenever they are on screen. And, as if the British retirees' stories weren't enough, we also spend a good deal of time with Dev Patel, who plays the young owner of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. We watch his relationship struggles as well as his challenges with keeping the hotel open and dealing with his overbearing mother. The different storylines keep adding up, and even at a lengthy 124 minutes, there doesn't seem to be quite enough time for everyone. I will say that overall, John Madden does a very good job of balancing these different characters. I just think the film would have been more effective had 1-2 characters been cut, so we could have spent more time with others.

The cast is exceptionally good. Judi Dench is always excellent, and she was fun to watch here. She did the best job of connecting with the audience, so her storyline was perhaps the strongest of the entire film. I really liked her here. Tom Wilkinson is another actor I very much enjoy. He had perhaps the most emotional storyline of the entire film. His story was powerful and heart-warming, and was perhaps the most effective of the film. I wish he had more screen time, because I loved every second of him in this film. Bill Nighy was fine. He's not my favorite actor, but he gave a good performance. Penelop Wilton was quite believable in a thankless role, but she did get on my nerves eventually. I am always happy to see Maggie Smith in a film because she instantly makes it better. Her role started off weak, but certainly picked up speed and effectiveness as the movie went on. She has a few powerful moments at the end. It felt like Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie were weaker members of the cast, especially given that their characters were not quite as well rounded. While they add some humor and levity to the film, their characters could have went away, and I would have been fine with that. I think I like Dev Patel (I'm still making up my mind), so it was fun to see him here. He certainly adds a lot of much-needed energy to the cast. His frantic performance was fun to watch.

The story here was not my favorite, but it was fairly effective. There didn't really seem to be anything we have not seen before. As I mentioned, some storylines (Judi Dench's, Tom Wilkinson's, Maggie Smith's, and Bill Nighy's) are quite strong, while others were weak or average. There's just a bit too much going on in this film, and as a result, we didn't get to spend quite enough time with the stronger actors. Still, it's impressive how many different storylines connect here. The film is funny and warm, and I enjoyed watching it.

While not a perfect movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is an entertaining dramedy. There was definitely enough here to support the film for 2 hours, so the length did not bother me at all. While it could have been better, I would still recommend this film. It was great seeing all these older actors get a chance to play meaty, fun roles. This little gem is quite an enjoyable film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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