Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: John Madden, 20th Century Fox, PG, 124 Minutes.
As seen in earlier travelogues (and certainly prior to the pandemic) “incredible India” is the picturesque setting for John Madden’s adaptation of Deborah Moggach’s 2004 novel ‘These Foolish Things.’
It tells the heartening story of a diverse group of British retirees who travel to India for different reasons in the hope of finding real happiness and renewal.
Having previously directed ‘The Debt’, Madden has assembled a stellar cast of British actors to play the key characters, including ‘James Bond’s Judy Dench as Evelyn, recently widowed with plenty of debts; ‘Harry Potter’s Maggie Smith as Muriel, initially a bigoted woman intent on seeking a hip replacement; Tom Wilkinson (‘The Green Hornet’) as Graham, a retired judge wanting to find an Indian companion; Bill Nighy (‘About Time’) as Douglas; and Penelope Wilton (TV’s Downton Abbey) as his dissatisfied wife Jean.
The remaining characters are Ronald Pickup (‘Prince of Persia’) as the playful Norman keen to make it with younger women and Celia Imrie ( ‘The Love Punch’) as Madge, a woman hoping to find a rich husband.
After making their hotel accommodation online, all seven seniors end up at the less than exotic Marigold hotel in Jaipur run by the inexperienced hotel manager, Sonny (Dev Patel – ‘Hotel Mumbai’).
As it turns out Sonny’s mother (Lillete Dubey – ‘Delhi in a Day’) is keen for her son to get rid of the hotel together with his unacceptable girlfriend, Sunaina (Tena Desae in her debut role).
Madden’s beautifully told story of a group of elderly people seeking to be rejuvenated through their Indian sojourn, in addition to achieving their individual pursuits, is both poignant as it is entertaining.
Having been filmed in certain parts of India it is further enhanced by some eye-catching settings and Brad Davis’ colourful cinematography of the bustling Indian town.
‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ is an enjoyable movie which revolves around seven elderly strangers on an exotic adventure and filled with the correct doses of humour, joy, love and sadness.
It also has the added highlight of including perfectly pitched performances by Dench, Nighy, Patel and Smith as they come to grips with what is most important in their lives.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is televised on 7FLIX at 8.30pm on Saturday 19 June.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 Stars
