The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Review

20th Feb 2012

Seven elderly Brits stuck in a bit of a late life crisis decide to throw their lot in and travel to India to stay at the titular location only to discover they have been slightly duped on what they bargained for. The hotel isn’t in the best of conditions, has very little variety in terms of working facilities, and a young manager (Dev Patel) who is way in over his head when coming to run the place.

Despite this – they all decide to stay and make do with what they have and slowly they all adjust to their surroundings and the locale as the narrative unfolds.

You can perhaps guess what you are in for in terms of drama and humour when it comes to a cast including the likes of Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson. And to an extent you would be right. The British classy British humour is very much there, and the dramatic beats are very well balanced. To say that the entire cast perform well together is an understatement. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a very charming film that will appeal to any audience that can enjoy a bit of life reflection.

Dev Patel (Slum dog millionaire) holds his own against the cast as the eager to please manager with his own issues in life, and even in his naive approach comes out with some of the films biggest laughs.

Maggie Smith is on top form as ever playing a familiar type of role, but this time instead of a higher class, she is playing more the working class – with serious racial issues (and yet still manages to come over as Maggie Smith). The heavier dramatic weight of the film comes down on Dench and Wilkinson who are the true lost souls of the film looking for a bit of peace after a life spent living in the shadows. Despite their sombre pasts, both spent most of their time here actively working on their issues.

This is definitely the type of film you may refer your mother to, but it shouldn’t be underestimated for its entertainment value. The film is well paced and divides the time well between the ensemble cast. It’s as much a reason to single out as a decent trip to the cinema, and is perhaps more rewarding, than many of the bigger budgeted films out there at the moment.