Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: Directed by John Madden. With Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Patrick Pearson, Hugh Dickson. British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

“Admit it: when was the last time you saw a film in which the seven lead roles are taken by British actors in their 60s and 70s? Never – right? So this is a movie aiming at a very different demographic than the usual teenage-targeted Hollywood fare and it is a refreshing and welcome change that will delight young as well as old.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe doyennes of the cast are Judi Dench and Maggie Smith who are both now in their late 70s but sparkle here as very different lonely singletons. Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton play a sweet and sour couple in the thespian menu. Tom Wilkinson is a retired judge with a secret. Finally Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup are two more sad souls who might or might not find solace together. All of the seven find that retirement can be u0026#39;outsourcedu0026#39; to an Indian hotel that certainly looks exotic in the (photoshopped) brochure, but actually needs somewhat more than the enthusiasm of its young manager (Dev Patel with romantic problems of his own).u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe location of the hotel is Jaipur in northern India which is a character in itself and, since I have visited the city, I can attest to the wonderful vibrancy and colour of this extraordinary metropolis. But,as our seven intrepid Brits learn, India requires some adjustment to oneu0026#39;s expectations and lifestyle and some make the adjustment sooner or better than others. A cynic might dub this multiple storyline of comedy and romance as u0026quot;Love Geriatricallyu0026quot; and the characters are rather stereotypical, but this is a delightful movie that makes the viewer feel good about life.”