The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

I'm sure that there will be many a cynic who will scoff at The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and accuse it of being general fluff, with no deeper meaning. Well, they'll be right in a sense, but they'll be leaving out some of the film's other qualities - namely that it is sweet, hilariously funny, contains wonderful performances by some great veteran actors, and is highly entertaining. This is one of the gentlest and most charming movies I have seen in a long time.

The title comes from a retirement resort located in India, where most of the action takes place. In fact, the resort's full name is "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful". The building itself is long past its prime. The entire resort seems to be crumbling, the phones don't work, and many of the guest rooms contain wildlife. But its owner is optimistic that he can take this struggling property, and turn it into something that lives up to its lofty name. The owner is Sonny (Dev Patel from Slumdog Millionaire), a young man who inherited the building, and has been trying to keep it afloat, despite pressure from his mother to join his more successful siblings in their business, and to agree to an arranged marriage. Sonny does not want to give up on the Hotel, as he knows he can make it great. He also doesn't want to agree to the arranged marriage, because he loves a local girl, Sunaina (Tena Desae), who works at a call center.

Early on, Sonny gets his first guests in a long time. (The sign outside the building proudly proclaims, "Now with guests!", after they arrive.) They all hail from England, and in the opening scenes, we see where they're at in their individual lives, which leads them to the retirement community in India. They include Evelyn (Judi Dench), who lost her home after her husband died, Graham (Tom Wilkinson), who lived in India in his younger years, and wants to return in order to reunite with someone special from his past, unhappily married couple Douglas and Jean (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton), whose relationship has not gotten much better in later years, Muriel (Maggie Smith), who does not trust ethnic people or anyone of a different skin color than her's, yet finds herself in India in order to get a cheap hip replacement surgery, and finally Norman (Ronald Pickup) and Madge (Celia Imrie), who are both lonely, single, and seeking relationships.

The movie moves along fleetly, juggling its numerous characters and subplots in such a way that even if not everybody gets to make a big impression, nobody seems unnecessary or underwritten. Part of this has to do with the fantastic performances at the center of the film, but I would also like to point out the screenplay by Ol Parker. In adapting the novel, These Foolish Things, he has really brought out the humanity in these characters. Everybody in this movie is relatable in some way, and nobody comes across as artificial or a walking cliche. The movie's best creation is the character of Graham, a gentle yet guarded man who has a lot of wonderful memories of India, and is struggling both with how it has changed over the years, and also whether or not he is wasting his time looking for this person from his past. Not only is his character likable and his story arc emotional, but the performance by Wilkinson is one his best in a wonderful career.

There are a lot of wonderful performances to enjoy here. Judi Dench serves somewhat as a narrator (she blogs about her experiences in India to her family back home), and also develops a shy relationship with one of the other guests, which is heartwarming and sweet. Maggie Smith gets some big laughs as her character is forced into acceptance and tolerance of other cultures. Bill Nighy is also sympathetic as a man who has been trapped in a loveless marriage for years, but doesn't realize it until he comes to India, and notices that his wife sees it in a very different way than he does. Everyone in this movie is acting at the top of their level here, and director John Madden (The Debt) does not let a single character or performance slip by unappreciated. That's no small feat when you consider there's six or seven different characters and plots vying for our attention, but this movie pulls it off effortlessly and with skill.

This is such a wonderful little film, it's hard to praise it without giving away its simple charms. I've already talked about the writing, acting, and direction, but there's also just the overall tone of the movie itself. This is the rare "feel good" movie that, well, actually made me feel good. I was genuinely happy watching the film, and not once did I feel manipulated or that I was being talked down to. We feel for these characters and grow to love them. There is also just so much warmth to this movie. The humor, the story, and the tone is very gentle, but not in a mawkish or forced way. There is an art to creating a genuinely pleasing story, without pandering to your audience, and this movie is a masterclass in that art.

Much like last summer's Midnight in Paris, I have a feeling that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will become the little movie that comes out of nowhere amongst the big budget blockbusters, and captures a large audience. It certainly deserves to. This is the kind of movie you want to call up people, and tell them to go see when it's over. I may even be dragging some family along for a second viewing. What a great and pleasant surprise this film is.

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