This review is from: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (DVD + Digital Copy) (DVD)
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is not a gritty real life drama set in a council flat in the British midlands despite (a) being a British film and (b) featuring Bill Nighy. No, it is a stylised, slightly surreal film about a group of British pensioners who are inveigled to take out a long term residence in a hotel in Jaipur in the belief that it is a retirement home. The hotel itself is, of course, run down but quite astonishing – Indian Raj architecture of the highest order, run by a slightly crazy young man with a great vision for the future.
The film is full of cliches – the Indian call centre; the man returning to his childhood home; the racist old woman who hates black doctors; the mismatched couple; a couple of old imposters looking for romance… We have Delhi Belly; we have the exorbitant club serving pink gins; we have elephants on the street and mystic healers. Every shot shows bustle; bright markets; temples or the contrast of the shabby but peaceful courtyard in the hotel. There’s an overbearing Indian mother; a family of untouchables; a heavy dose of the class system and glorious sunsets.
But the cliches are welcome friends. There is nothing challenging in the film – just a vast travelogue enticing the viewer to come to Jaipur at the first opportunity. Most of the stories end well – sometimes improbably but it doesn’t matter. There is no pretence that this is real life – just two hours of pure fun, laughs, comedy and sadness mixed in together. It’s colourful and vibrant. It provokes the odd thought without being too demanding.
The cast is to die for. Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel… All delivering epic performances. There are various separate and interlinked story lines to maintain interest over the two hours – whilst having just enough going on in the backgrounds of the perfectly constructed shots to make this worth watching a second or third time.
Bliss!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Set to be a classic, this film highlights every aspect of senior citizenry, and not all of the most flattering kind.
It is a glorious, eye-wateringly colourful film, made with honesty and sympathy for characters – to use the horrid phrase – past their sell-by date.
If I have a small criticism; the characters when they are not stereotypical, border on the cartoon. Having said that it is not enough to lose it a single star-in fact, it makes them not less human, but more!
It is a masterpiece of cinema, for all ages and genders: can’t wait to view it on DVD!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
This review is from: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (DVD + Digital Copy) (DVD)
I thought I wanted to be on a Greek island with 2 friends, plenty of wine listening to Abba music, now I know what I really want is to stay in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with a bunch of wrinklies like me. One of the best films I have seen and can’t wait for the DVD to be released so I can watch it over and over again. It just proved there is a lot of life in us golden oldies and any film with Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench plus other REAL British actors can’t fail to be a success.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Heartwarming,
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is not a gritty real life drama set in a council flat in the British midlands despite (a) being a British film and (b) featuring Bill Nighy. No, it is a stylised, slightly surreal film about a group of British pensioners who are inveigled to take out a long term residence in a hotel in Jaipur in the belief that it is a retirement home. The hotel itself is, of course, run down but quite astonishing – Indian Raj architecture of the highest order, run by a slightly crazy young man with a great vision for the future.
The film is full of cliches – the Indian call centre; the man returning to his childhood home; the racist old woman who hates black doctors; the mismatched couple; a couple of old imposters looking for romance… We have Delhi Belly; we have the exorbitant club serving pink gins; we have elephants on the street and mystic healers. Every shot shows bustle; bright markets; temples or the contrast of the shabby but peaceful courtyard in the hotel. There’s an overbearing Indian mother; a family of untouchables; a heavy dose of the class system and glorious sunsets.
But the cliches are welcome friends. There is nothing challenging in the film – just a vast travelogue enticing the viewer to come to Jaipur at the first opportunity. Most of the stories end well – sometimes improbably but it doesn’t matter. There is no pretence that this is real life – just two hours of pure fun, laughs, comedy and sadness mixed in together. It’s colourful and vibrant. It provokes the odd thought without being too demanding.
The cast is to die for. Dame Judi Dench, Dame Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilton, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel… All delivering epic performances. There are various separate and interlinked story lines to maintain interest over the two hours – whilst having just enough going on in the backgrounds of the perfectly constructed shots to make this worth watching a second or third time.
Bliss!
Was this review helpful to you?
|A Classic.,
Set to be a classic, this film highlights every aspect of senior citizenry, and not all of the most flattering kind.
It is a glorious, eye-wateringly colourful film, made with honesty and sympathy for characters – to use the horrid phrase – past their sell-by date.
If I have a small criticism; the characters when they are not stereotypical, border on the cartoon. Having said that it is not enough to lose it a single star-in fact, it makes them not less human, but more!
It is a masterpiece of cinema, for all ages and genders: can’t wait to view it on DVD!
Was this review helpful to you?
|Wonderful, wonderful.,
I thought I wanted to be on a Greek island with 2 friends, plenty of wine listening to Abba music, now I know what I really want is to stay in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel with a bunch of wrinklies like me. One of the best films I have seen and can’t wait for the DVD to be released so I can watch it over and over again. It just proved there is a lot of life in us golden oldies and any film with Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Judi Dench plus other REAL British actors can’t fail to be a success.
Was this review helpful to you?
|