Photo by: overdose.am
Of all the things to be outsourced, retirement may seem the most strange, but “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” explores exactly this idea. The film follows a diverse assortment of elderly middle-class Brits who take advantage of a reduced price trip to a luxury Indian hotel, hoping to escape their problems but instead facing them head on. Though the film doesn’t exactly tackle any earth-shattering material, strong performances from its star-studded group of seasoned actors lift “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” strongly above the indie comedy-drama genre’s usual fare.
Oscar-winner Judi Dench (“My Week With Marilyn,” the last six Bond films) plays Evelyn, narrating the film through her travel blog, who goes to India after selling her flat in the wake of her husband’s passing. The rest of the crew represents an array of different lifestyles. Graham (Tom Wilkinson, “Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol”) is a 50-something judge who retires early to find pieces from his former life in India. Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Jean (Penelope Wilton, Downtown Abbey) are a long-married couple who invested their retirement funds in their daughter’s start-up business, leaving nothing for their own expenses. Maggie Smith (the “Harry Potter” film series) plays the old racist housekeeper Muriel, who travels to India for a hip replacement. Norman (Ronald Pickup) and Madge (Celia Imrie) round out the lot as cougars looking to pick up a rich companion.
After a harrowing adventure in tuk-tuks, a type of rickshaw and a long, cramped bus ride, the group arrives at the disheveled, and crumbling, hotel owned by young, overly energetic Sonny, played by Dev Patel (“Slumdog Millionaire”), who assures them a fantastic stay. Sonny has his own problems, as he loves a girl of a different class who is not accepted by his family.
Battling their health and surviving the exotic trip are only superficial issues, as each character has internal struggles that surface while in India. Tackling the predictable issues of love and loss as well as more political ones of clashing cultures, sexuality and long-revered traditions, all with a healthy injection of 21st-century wit and sarcasm, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” helps illustrate how multiple generations cope with finding themselves.
The cast performs well-above average, as one would expect by the list, making this more than just another trivial rom-com, or cut straight-to-DVD movie. The characters each get their own attention and development, and Evelyn makes for a compelling and tactful narrator. The grown Patel performs his role as the bumbling Sonny with hilarity and optimism. It’s so over-exaggerated, it’s endearing.
The beautiful colors and sounds of India overwhelm the characters and the audience, but only in the best way, transporting the viewers to the country along with the cast.
While many movies deal with teenage “coming of age” issues, this movie takes on the late bloomers proving it is never too late to turn your life around. A sweet and touching film that certainly is not revolutionary nor an Oscar contender, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” still proves to be a heartwarming good time with shining actors and clever screenwriting.
