“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” movie was about a resort-type facility for seniors in India and reached the silver screen in 2011. Retired Brits loved the idea of retiring in an Indian community: Everyone speaks English. The natives are friendly. The cost is ridiculously low. The climate is warm compared to the dismal weather in England. The only required activity is to answer the daily morning roll call. Things could not be better for the manager, Sonny (Dev Patel) and half-owner, Muriel, (Maggie Smith) except that they are running out of space for their cliental.
The sequel “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” involves the travails of Sonny seeking an additional hotel for expansion and boasts the same cast that made the original movie a blockbuster comedy-drama in Great Britain.
Seniors Judi Dench (Evelyn) and Bill Nightly (Douglas) continue their off-on relationship with each bravely re-entering the labor market. Dench is a budding fabric selector for a manufacturer and Nightly uses some cunning electronics to be a tour guide while battling growing dementia.
The plot is as thin as a pepperoni slice on a discount pizza, but it is the acting that makes this film click. Spastic Del Patel is funny. Dame Maggie Smith is magnificent and appears without a touch of makeup. Dench takes and makes the quickest punchlines and lays claim to the most senior actor at 80. Celia Imric as Madge may have an Oscar nomination with her silent responses to her friendly taxicab driver a five minute scene. Watch the close-ups of Richard Gere in his role of the reluctant bon vivant for a film acting lesson.
A wedding scene ends the movie. Sonny takes Sunasina (Tina Disia) for his bride in a celebration that would have cost a million rupees. While staged as a spectacular climax, it belies the true state of India where one third of the population sleeps on the street.
Re-read the first paragraph. Sound familiar? Add free golf and heated swimming pools and you are in The Non-exotic Villages with much better health care.
“The Second Best Most Exotic Marigold Hotel“ earns a C grade as a pleasant but hurry-up attempt to ride the coattails of the original film.
Villager Jack Petro reviews movies for Villages-News.com
