An overwhelmingly delightful and heartfelt English movie!! the movie is set in India where a group of English Old age persons come to reside and spend the rest of their lives, in "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" @ Jaipur. Things doesn't go well as written down and the "Senior Citizens" takes some toiling and blending to get well with the environment, and finally finding out the virtues and the privileges of "living". Its a celebration of life, the movie shows how the characters going through those emotional turbulence in the final phase of their lives gets over with it, each of them in pursuit of something better!
I was a bit bothered with my ambivalence, never felt good about the poking, the satires, the dig at the Indian culture and ways - which weren't deliberate and must admit, very real. But then there were lot of enthralling moments to cover it up as well. The exotic & an equally filthy locale, the Indian mannerisms, the way of communication were all so perfectly rendered. A somewhat clichéd subplot in form of a mini bollywood romance ( Indian couple only) did irk me, and that too when the movie was catching its prime. An ensemble cast ( all of them known faces) makes sure the movie never gets over dramatic or comical - though Dev Patel who plays the young manager of the hotel was a bit goofy. Thomas Newman has composed the music well, so congruent a blend of Indian and Western.
"Slumdog Millionaire" was way too 'hinglish' for a British movie - still wonder how it got Oscar crowned - and a bit over-showing the darker side of India ( loved the movie nevertheless ). "Darjeeling limited" was way too comical, "Outsourced", a simple but brilliant movie was poor though, in content and visuals. Well, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in a way overdoes all these movies, yea it does have plot-holes, some instances melodramatic, some quite bollywoody! But you don't need to miss this movie, its a celebration of life. A beautiful quote from the movie ( which am sure is often heard and told in many different ways ) - Everything will be all right in the end. And if it's not all right, It's no the end. 8/10
I was a bit bothered with my ambivalence, never felt good about the poking, the satires, the dig at the Indian culture and ways - which weren't deliberate and must admit, very real. But then there were lot of enthralling moments to cover it up as well. The exotic & an equally filthy locale, the Indian mannerisms, the way of communication were all so perfectly rendered. A somewhat clichéd subplot in form of a mini bollywood romance ( Indian couple only) did irk me, and that too when the movie was catching its prime. An ensemble cast ( all of them known faces) makes sure the movie never gets over dramatic or comical - though Dev Patel who plays the young manager of the hotel was a bit goofy. Thomas Newman has composed the music well, so congruent a blend of Indian and Western.
"Slumdog Millionaire" was way too 'hinglish' for a British movie - still wonder how it got Oscar crowned - and a bit over-showing the darker side of India ( loved the movie nevertheless ). "Darjeeling limited" was way too comical, "Outsourced", a simple but brilliant movie was poor though, in content and visuals. Well, "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in a way overdoes all these movies, yea it does have plot-holes, some instances melodramatic, some quite bollywoody! But you don't need to miss this movie, its a celebration of life. A beautiful quote from the movie ( which am sure is often heard and told in many different ways ) - Everything will be all right in the end. And if it's not all right, It's no the end. 8/10