The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012) follows a group of British retirees, who for different reasons decide to “outsource” their retirement to the less expensive yet exotic India, with a hope to get all luxury and peace in life.
The film banks on the saying: “Everything will be all right in the end. So, if it is not all right, it is not yet the end.” As we are introduced to this film catering to older demography – we somehow realize why aging people (we) go disarray in the twilight of their lives, certainly because of the complexities around and our effort in trying to accept the brut fact.
Enticed by the online advertisement, when they finally arrive at the newly restored Marigold Hotel in Jaipur, they discover that the hotel falls short of its fat promises. However, as each character starts to cope with the milieu with an open heart, living all fear behind and seeing new possibilities in life, they realize the fact that life can begin again when you let go of the past.
With an ensemble star cast including the likes of Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, and Ronald Pickup, the movie gives you an interesting two-hour long leisure time.
Director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) has created ample space for each character to develop on screen, and the result is all awesome, watching these veteran actors very successfully putting their experience on celluloid.
Other than the British characters, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel also introduces you to the young hotel manager Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel of the Slumdog Millionaire fame), who is so much disorganized in his life that he even forgets to inform his visitors in advance that the hotel has no working telephone and some rooms are without doors.
Nevertheless, Patel, as the ever-optimistic Sonny, holds the comic elements very aptly. Well, sometimes you may find he is a little over the top, but that is acceptable as the character is young and dynamic, who is under intense pressure from her mom to give up the hotel for some other family business and agree to an arranged marriage in Delhi, even though he is deeply in love with Sunaina (Tena Desae), a call center worker.
The rest is all a happy ending. I would suggest you watch this British comedy-drama film for a refreshing time. Even though the hotel is for the “elderly and beautiful”, the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is indeed for everyone.
Catch the movie trailer for ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’
Where to watch The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
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