An exotic distraction

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

A stellar cast elevates this film beyond the predictable. In less experienced hands it could have easily descended into a ham-fest. With egg.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) is a hoot.

Judi Dench in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The opening scenes reveal the back-story of each character. A dreary English day is echoed in the collective mood of sexagenarians as they ponder their retirement options.

Evelyn, played with sensitivity by the great Judi Dench, is alone, spiritually and financially, after the death of her husband; married couple Douglas, Bill Nighy, and Jean, Penelope Wilton, are reconsidering their retirement options after sinking their life savings into their daughter’s failing internet scheme. Maggie Smith is Muriel, a curmudgeonly, bigoted housekeeper; Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup are Madge and Norman, two singles looking for love and youth. Tom Wilkinson brings an element of brooding gravity as Graham, looking to right a wrong of his past.

Each character finds themselves at the departure lounge en route to the crumpled chaos that is the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the ‘elderly and the lovely,’ Jaipur, India. Run by ambitious yet inept Sonny, Dev Patel, the hotel is nothing like what the brochure promises.

The outsourcing of basic services to the Indian sub-continent as a result of globalisation is hinted in the movie.

There are some purler moments as the new inhabitants struggle to adopt. Maggie Smith drops the one-liners, including “If I can’t pronounce it I don’t want to eat it.” Cultural cringe is handled with humour.

Beautifully filmed by Ben Smith, the colour and beauty of Rajasthan are as layered and complex as the characters.

The film is a rom-com and as such does its job with assurance if the reaction of age 50+ capacity audience is any barometer. Marigold Hotel and the trials of its denizens gives some fleeting escape from the real concerns faced by those becoming increasingly marginalised in a world obsessed with profit.

Entertaining, this film is a great distraction.