At the Theater- "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" - Several British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe to be is the "newly restored" Hotel of the title- what transpires thereafter is a fun, witty, involving and sometimes heartbreaking Drama/Comedy that I found to be somewhat remindful of (and a worthy companion piece to) "Four Weddings and a Funeral."
The film, directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) starts off a bit flat over the first 5 minutes or so, but once the ensemble is established and the setting changes from Britain to India it should "grow" on an interested viewer as it did with me. It's a well-written and Directed film, featuring some wonderful cinematography- the on-location filming captures the bustling environment and inherent beauty of India quite nicely.
Although Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson and Bill Nighy are the standouts, the cast and performances are first rate across the board- the characters are all fairly well fleshed out with believability never being an issue. The recently-widowed character that Dench portrays would be the central character of the film- it's a heartfelt performance that truly anchors the proceedings. Tom Wilkinson's search for a lost love would be the most poignant story arc- I found my eyes welling up a bit at one point.
Bill Nighy plays the overtly positive, henpecked husband of the bitter and self-centered Penelope Wilton (Shaun of The Dead)- A scene involving a breakdown between the couple really drives home Nighy's full range. I'm a fan of the actor and find that he's usually quite a scene-stealer.
Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) is the fledgling hotel's manager, with the very pretty newcomer Tena Desae as his love interest. Patel shows quite a bit of range here and I find myself wishing we could see more of him in American or British comedies- dude's likable and has talent. Desae should pick up quite a few roles after this...
Maggie Smith's snobby racist undergoes an admittedly predictable transformation- she's so damned good getting there that it shouldn't matter. Celia Imrie (Bridget Jones's Diary) is the middle-aged vamp looking for a wealthy suitor, while Ronald Pickup's wily coot just wants one last romp with a younger woman to "revisit his youth."
Fans of quality British Comedies, or of any of the actors involved, would be wise to check it out.
It's got a great final shot.
Highly Recommended
8.5
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