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HOORAY FOR 1933—EIGHTY YEARS LATERThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel—movie review
Please forgive me, then, for not having fallen in love with the movie, as many others have; I find it a bit too calculated and pat. It does not condescend to older people, thank goodness, or play them as cute, although it does take steps in that direction. It also ties things up in a neat little package with a red bow on top, but one would expect no less from a feel-good movie that’s intended to please a “mature” demographic.
The story doesn’t start out on a lighthearted note—quite the opposite, as we meet the central characters, all British senior citizens whose lives have stalled by circumstance or been undercut by financial woes. The disparate group includes a widow who’s flustered by the computer age (Dench), a professor who feels he’s in a rut (Wilkinson), a cranky, bigoted woman who can’t afford the hip operation she desperately needs (Smith), a cougar in search of a sugar daddy (Celia Imre), and a couple who have lost their nest egg (Nighy and Penelope Wilton). They are all susceptible to the advertising of a hotel in Jaipur that promises luxurious accommodations at reasonable rates. This turns out to be wishful thinking on the part of the establishment’s youthful manager, played by Dev Patel, whom you will remember from Slumdog Millionaire.
Stereotypically, this is the kind of movie you’d encourage your parents or grandparents to see. It acknowledges the slings and arrows of senior citizenry but offers hope, in a series of idealized solutions to some of the problems older people face. In the hands of actors we don’t already love and respect, it could be deadly; with this array of old pros, it’s hard to resist, and yet I did, somewhat. I don’t mind being manipulated, but I mind being aware of it.
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2 Comments
Richard Simonton | June 19, 2012 6:53 AM
I managed to enjoy this film very much, while trying not to be irritated by the editor and cinematographer who, like spoiled children, demanded constant attention. One quick scene of Penelope Wilton thoughtfully turning around was cut together from four shots. If only actors capable of registering subtle emotions had been allowed to do their jobs without interference. The editor got rich working piecemeal, $10 per splice.
Tom Murphy | May 25, 2012 9:58 PM
Mr. Maltin, I will disagree with your statement this a movie you encourage old people to see. I am encouraging my 17 year old daughter to go see. It is a great opportunity to see a film with great actors telling a story with a good heart