By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.9
Director: John Madden
Starring: Bill Nighy | Hugh Dickson | Judi Dench | Maggie Smith | Patrick Pearson | Penelope Wilton | Tom Wilkinson
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2012
Running time: 124
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1412386/
Thom says: “Director Madden has had an interesting career without really establishing an auteur following. Certainly SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, HER MAJESTY, MRS. BROWN, PROOF, & ETHAN FROME are all well worth viewing but GOLDEN GATE, KILLSHOT, THE DEBT, & CAPTAIN CORELLI’S MANDOLIN all far less so but this new film is near the top. Even more to its credit is that it stars 4 must-see actors (no guarantee of success (look at the putrid I HEART HUCKABEES for one example) that all perform beautifully with one another and alone. A group of British retirees head off to live in Jaipur, lured by a false advertising campaign promising luxuries in the midst of the exotic clime. The hotel is run by a young Indian would-be entrepreneur Sonny Kapoor (an adorable Dev Patel) whose enthusiasm is only matched by his ineptitude. Each of the English characters have their own unique set of problems, whether of a romantic, social, or medical kind but surely the group will all find solace of sorts in this good-natured film. Smith’s character has the hardest transformation to accomplish and she gives it her darnedest but maybe Nighy shines brightest. 4.5 cats”
Toni says: “Glad you liked this! I am reminded of how much I liked John Madden earlier work with Judi Dench and Billy Connolly in MRS. BROWN as far as character development and story. I think the film in a way is marketed as a happier film than it actually is and the characters really surprise you and I think many of us can relate to what is happening to the characters throughout the film. What an ensemble cast both British and Indian. We actually recently interviewed the Indian casting director, Sehir Latif, on the film for Spoiler Alert Radio which is currently airing on a number of community radio stations in the States this week. We can post the podcast link in a few weeks for anyone interested :).
“We also interviewed the editor on the film, Chris Gill back in 2008, who also worked on a number of films for Danny Boyle (28 DAYS LATER and SUNSHINE) and this was the last project in the interview that he was working on. He was on the jury for one of our film festival and I remember the long time it took when he was in India for him to get the films to review :).”
Diane says: “I felt guilty for enjoying this movie as much as I did (that is, to the ‘pleasant’ level). Many character and plot elements stretched credulity, and all was tied up in a neat bow. I hate that! But Maggie Smith made me laugh a lot, and Judy Dench was endearingly humble, and Tom Wllkinson was the solid, well-meaning person he often plays. I thought Bill Nighy was miscast–such odd movements!
“Looks like everybody in Jaipur is well off–that’s a surprise! Overall, the film gave me a certain queasy feeling of fetishizing
Indian people and culture. 3 cats”
Bruce says: “In the arena of star-studded, multi-character, formula-driven films, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL fares much better than most. All the current buzz surrounding MARIGOLD HOTEL focuses on how films about the older generation are rare and underappreciated. While Hollywood is certainly not making them, there are films like Michael Haneke’s upcoming AMOUR and Sarah Polley’s AWAY FROM HER that garner much critical appraise. Those are small films with a single story to tell. By comparison, MARIGOLD HOTEL is sprawling. Adapted from Debborah Moggach’s novel by Ol Parker, MARIGOLD HOTEL tells at least seven stories simultaneously. John Madden is a master of fluidity as demonstrated by his SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE. Since he does not consistently work with the same editors or cinematographers, one must give him the lion’s share of the credit for clarity and moving his stories along so effortlessly. In the flaw department, MARIGOLD HOTEL is overly predictable and occasionally verges on caricature.
“The British contingent travels to India to a retirement hotel for various reasons. MARIGOLD HOTEL covers all the obvious plots involving old age: diminishing funds, boredom, bitterness, loneliness, inattentive children, mortality, incompatibility of spouses, sexual desire, sexual dysfunction, and physical problems of the wear-and-tear nature. That it covers so much ground is quite an achievement. Less effective is the story of the young man who runs the hotel. He is part dreamer, part con artist and is lost in the India which is transitioning from a two-tier society to a country with a huge emerging middle class.
“In the end, the acting is what makes the film worthwhile. Judi Dench and Maggie Smith are incandescent, as one would expect. Lesser known actors Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie add incredible depth. Ms. Wilton, in fact, delivers my favorite performance in the film. (Last year I had the pleasure of seeing her on stage in A Delicate Balance with Imelda Staunton; she is an actress deserving more meaty roles.) Tom Wilkinson is solid. Bill Nighy has the most difficult role as a puzzled victim of life’s disappointments, both business and personal. Dev Patel overacts, without deference to nuance. Jaipur is itself a character in the film – emblematic of an India ablaze with color, teeming with people and enveloped in mystery. 4 cats”
Chris says: “With this tale of retiree-age Brits relocating to India, I expected an entertaining, middlebrow dramedy and it was exactly what I got. What I did not expect, however, was how affecting it occasionally was. On one hand, how could it fail with the likes of Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, etc; (although Dev Patel doesn’t help matters by egregiously overacting); on the other, why should it succeed? Perhaps director John Madden’s depiction of India is more subtle and honest than Danny Boyle’s? Or is it because a few of the narratives here (particularly Wilkinson’s) take thoughtful, unexpected turns? Whatever the reason, it mostly works. 4 cats”