Quite the ‘best’ exotic marigold hotel
An uplifting tale of a group of people that discover a different culture and develop a new outlook on life
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Director John Madden Screenwriters Ol Parker, Deborah Moggach (novel) Cast Bill Nighy, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Ronal Pickup
John Madden’s uplifting dramatic comedy offers a perfect blend of laughter, tears and depth. The film, based on a novel by Deborah Moggach, follows a group of British retirees including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and many more British talents, in search of a place to outsource their retirement. Each of them look no further than a glistening advertisement for a retiree resort entitled ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, in Jaipur, India, for the ‘elderly and beautiful.’ However, upon arrival, the retirees soon realise that the hotel is not quite how it was portrayed on the advert, but rather an old dusty building with major renovation work needed.
Evelyn (Dench), around which most of the plot circulates, is a housewife turned widow who discovers that her late husband’s debts had run up so much that she had to sell her house. Her decision to travel to India marks her newfound independence and letting go from her much doted upon husband. Madge (Imrie) is an aged single girl who’s on the hunt for a rich husband, and Norman (Pickup), also single and ready to mingle, wants a girlfriend, or anything he can get, even if it’s just ‘one night of passion.’ Douglas (Nighy) and Jean (Wilton) are a couple that have lost most of their retirement fund invested into their daughters failed internet-company. They decide to get away to India for a break from their daily routine.
The film wonderfully portrays the old British fascination for India, particularly during its colonial days, when Graham (Wilkinson), a high court magistrate who grew up there, tries to seek out people, memories and familiarities from his past there. Maggie Smith’s performance as Muriel provides endless chuckles, owing to her xenophobic views. Her only reason for travelling to India is for a hip operation.
If you watch this movie in a cinema, you’ll notice two things: most of the people there are over the age of fifty, and the movie theatre is filled with laughter at the culture shock that develops when the retirees arrive in India. The different hygiene standards, food, cultural customs, religious beliefs and caste system all surprise the retirees in some way, with an amusing scene showing all the retirees rushing to the toilet after having their first meal at their Jaipur resort.
This film shows the colours and richness of Indian culture and the warmth of its people. It portrays a touching message to the audience, where life is seen as a gift, and not a right. This is reflected in the warmth of Patel’s frantic character. Although his beloved hotel is a shambles, his never-ending quest to please his guests and improve his hotel is endearing. Patel’s performance as a young troubled man trying to restore his deceased father’s hotel to its former glory is convincing, and his acting skillset has much progressed, along with his faux Indian accent, since his performance in Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire.
Although the film is very comedic in nature, the touching messages carried throughout, along with side plots involving love dilemmas, make for a film that will keep you on your toes. All in all, this movie, brimming with outstanding performances owing to its talented cast, is an uplifting tale of a group of people that discover a different culture and develop a new outlook on life. Through shared experiences, they make friends and some find love along the way by letting go of their past.
