Monday, May 14, 2012

MOVIE REVIEW - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Well The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will certainly be one of the most interesting names for a movie all year. And will be in the end, one of the best movies too.

Hotel, to be honest is not going to be on my list of best flicks of the year because it doesn't speak to me. But it will to many. But many times it's easy to recognize good, and this is good. Hotel is in limited release, and many times these are gems. It's well written, well performed and it's a movie that you haven't seen in any way before.

Hotel is the story of 7 retired, completely unrelated British senior citizens who for varying circumstances find themselves alone. Some broke, and all looking for something that they may not even though they are. And with the Internet at their disposal, they find online this advertisement for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in India. The pictures and rates to live there are so great, they all decide to strike out and venture to India to start a new and hopefully better life.

As they arrive, all find that the place is simply a dump. And that India is a strange and chaotic place. They all have mixed feelings on whether to stay or not. And all finally do. As they all become more comfortable with their surroundings, they also find that there is much to learn from India, it's people and culture. They also come to learn that life isn't over just because youth is seemingly behind you. And most importantly, that they have more in common with their old, but hopeful hotel home they now call home. What can they learn about themselves and their adventure.

Sound a bit high brow for May at the movies? It is. But that's OK. This is a great example of how we need movies for all kinds of people to go to. And this is highly targeted at an older audience who may feel that The Avengers, or Dark Shadows may not be in the cards for them right now. Hotel is just the answer. It makes you happy, all the while dishing out a heavy dosage of reality and fantasy at the same time. Plus, it's filmed in India's big cities, and you really do get a sense of what life there might be like. Both physically and socially.

The star of this movie besides the really great cast is the writing. Tremendous character development, and dialogue written splendidly for characters that would have much life experience. Much of this is absolutely believable, and sounds amazingly natural on screen. They also wrote in pivotal characters of youth, that provide steady balance and inject a sense of relief this script was going to need. Hotel has a snappy sense of humor, and some really nice moments too. Much can be learned from this movie, as it deals with seniors today finding themselves in a world they don't always understand.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Very, very well done, and a great diversion right now at the movies.

1 comment:

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