Watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel over the weekend. It's about seven Britishers, all facing ripe old age, coming down to India for one reason or the other. Evelyn (a magnificent Judi Dench) has lost her husband and her apartment, and is looking for a job. At the end of a fruitful career as a lawyer, Graham (Tom Wilkinson) is on the lookout for his Indian lover (male) from his young days. A couple's (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton) marriage is on the rocks while another pair (Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie) is looking for some excitement in their mundane lives. Finally, there is Muriel (Maggie Smith) who battles her racism as she is forced to visit India for a cheap hip replacement procedure.
Every character is delineated in great detail. Evelyn's vulnerability, Graham's grief and Muriel's racism are brought out astutely. But here's the thing. When it comes to a sketch of India, the film actually gets it more or less right. For the first time in an English film, I saw young Indians working in shiny offices (albeit as service agents parroting out foreign accents). The owner of the Marigold Hotel, Sonny Kapoor (a hyperactive but very cute Dev Patel) and his girlfriend are shown navigating the tightrope of family expectations and personal freedom. Also, the narrative arc is so drawn as to soften the British leads' attitude to the country, and this is done rather well.
A good watch!
Every character is delineated in great detail. Evelyn's vulnerability, Graham's grief and Muriel's racism are brought out astutely. But here's the thing. When it comes to a sketch of India, the film actually gets it more or less right. For the first time in an English film, I saw young Indians working in shiny offices (albeit as service agents parroting out foreign accents). The owner of the Marigold Hotel, Sonny Kapoor (a hyperactive but very cute Dev Patel) and his girlfriend are shown navigating the tightrope of family expectations and personal freedom. Also, the narrative arc is so drawn as to soften the British leads' attitude to the country, and this is done rather well.
A good watch!
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