The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Directed by: John Madden | 118 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Dev Patel, Ramona Marquez, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup, Tena Desae, Liza Tarbuck, Lillete Dubey, Russell Balogh, Israr Azam

For decades, the world seemed destined solely for the young. Taking a trip to the other side of the globe to develop yourself, it was always people in their twenties and thirties who could afford that freedom and wealth. But times change. The over-sixties of the twenty-first century are more active than ever. They play sports, travel and do volunteer work; their agenda is overflowing with appointments. You used to be old when you were 65, nowadays most people don’t feel old until they are approaching eighty. Director John Madden (‘Shakespeare in Love’, 1998) made the comic drama ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ (2011) especially for all those active over-sixties. But this heartwarming film about seven elderly people who come closer to themselves and each other in exotic India also has plenty to offer for anyone who is still far from that respectable age.

‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ is a quintessentially British treat, worn by the absolute crème de la crème of the English actors’ guild. Some seventy-somethings, for as many different reasons, leave Great Britain behind to move the title establishment in Jaipur, India. Evelyn (Judi Dench) recently became a widow. Her husband left her with huge debts and because she does not want to be a burden to her children, wants to live as cheaply as possible and even aspires a job, she leaves for India. Graham (Tom Wilkinson) quits his court job overnight to settle an old score in Jaipur. Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Joan (Penelope Wilton) rethink their marriage after 40 years, and Madge (Celia Imrie) and Norman (Ronald Pickup) each struggle with love in their own way. Finally, bitter and lonely Muriel (Maggie Smith) desperately needs a new hip, and as cheaply as possible.

Despite all the empty promises in the advertisements, the hotel is nothing like the idyllic place the seven have dreamed of. The good intentions of the very young manager Sonny (Dev Patel) do not hide the fact that his shop is a ruin. However, Sonny is determined to do everything in his power to make it a success, not least to convince his mother (Lillette Dubey) that he can take such a huge responsibility. If he wins his mother’s trust, he’ll probably be able to get her to call off his preconceived marriage and allow him to marry the girl of his dreams (Tena Desae).

The film, after the book of the same name by Deborah Moggach, stands out with its characters and in that respect it is fine with ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’. These ‘oldies’ are vividly sketched and wave the necessary hilarious one-liners into the air. Especially the xenophobic Maggie (“I’m so old, I don’t even buy green bananas”) and the desperately hungry Norman (“I’ve still got it, I just can’t find anyone that wants it”) have the laughing stock. But there is also room for drama. Graham, for example, carries a heavy burden and wants to come to terms with himself in India. Douglas and Joan’s marriage is breaking down after forty years; where he embraces colorful and noisy India, she locks herself in the hotel. Tensions in their relationship eventually erupt, yielding the film’s strongest scene. Nighy’s outburst in particular hits you right in the heart (perhaps the effect is even greater because we don’t often see him rant like this).

Between all that British acting violence, the young Dev Patel stands out starkly. In all his enthusiasm he starts to overact a bit, which only reinforces the feeling that his storyline is actually superfluous. However, the colorful Indian setting is a hit and Madden knows how to translate the lively atmosphere of Jaipur to the silver screen in a striking way. The fact that the script drops a few stitches here and there and sometimes balances on the edge of predictability, does not detract from the unbridled charm of this romantic drama. ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ proves that fun and zest for life is for all ages!