The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012), directed by John Madden, 4 stars

This film, based on the novel, “These Foolish Things” by Deborah Moggach, tells the story of an odd assortment of elderly, underloved, British retirees who all serendipitously stumble upon the same targeted ad for a resort known as the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  This Indian inn purportedly caters to the special needs of the elderly, and the individuals comprising this singular group of social outliers certainly fill the bill.  But this seasoned band of seniors also ventures to India for all sorts of reasons unrelated to the hotel, and these range from sex to surgery.  In the final analysis, though, like Humphrey Bogart's Rick who came to Casablanca for the waters, this group was similarly misinformed. It turns out that the resort is for all intents and purposes a ruin.  Despite its poor condition, however, it is being valiantly and, for all intents and purposes, single-handedly run by Sonny (Dev Patel from "Slumdog Millionaire"), an incredibly upbeat and persuasive young man who manages the hotel badly and its finances even worse.  He is the youngest of three sons, and his mother, the Indian equivalent of a helicopter mom, is dead set against his chosen profession, preferring instead that he follow in the footsteps of his two elder brothers, both of whom are wildly successful at their chosen professions. Unlike them, Sonny has no money, and he won't make anything from elderly patrons whose first impulse upon seeing the hotel is to flee. That they decide to stay is a testament to his incomprehensibly unshakable optimism which allows him to put a positive spin on everything.

Even if the plot is somewhat predictable, the dialog is snappy, and the editing is wonderfully brisk (if your mind wanders even for an instant, you risk missing something).  The acting is spot on, but how could it not be with a best of breed ensemble consisting of the likes of Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, and Maggie Smith.  And I must not omit the critical role played another character that, once introduced, is on an-screen presence from that point forward: the landscape of India.  Despite the pervasive poverty that seems to encircle the hotel, the people who walk the streets and inhabit the nearby buildings provide a vibrant and colorful cultural backdrop, ultimately enlivening and, to some degree, rejuvenating those elderly visitors who allow themselves to be touched by it all.  As Sonny says to alleviate any concerns expressed by his guests: “everything will be alright in the end, and if it isn't alright, it isn't the end.”  Well, the film is a lot better than just alright, and I for one didn’t want to see it end.