Adapted from Deborah Moggach’s novel These Foolish Things, John Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has the starriest cast in British acting legacy.

Premise: British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.

Review: The Best Marigold Hotel never sounded like a movie I would want to watch, the title alone kinda put me off, but then I heard about the cast, which is essentially the cream of British Comedy in one film so I check it out.

I had a smile on my face for a good portion of this movie, it was fun, heartwarming, and a pleasure to watch. The characters all have an individual flavor that feels natural because it’s obviously put in the ends of talented actors, who didn’t dive into the stereotypical shit. I didn’t necessarily relate to these lovely old folks, I’m not nearly as old, but I got to a place where I understood and came like them. Dev Patel as the lesser experienced of the cast did hold his own, I half expected him to completely make a fool of himself but he’s OK.

The movie is mostly set in India so of course there are colors, people, warmth, and life in those shots, and it counter shocks with the cold gray ones in England. They didn’t go into a Bollywood mood as I thought they would which was refreshing because the movie is already crowded with a lot of storylines, which is my only real problem with the film. 

What did you think?