The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel ****

Charm and experience go hand in hand, and director John Madden (The Debt) has coaxed this potent combination effortlessly out of a truly stellar British cast of Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson, Penelope Wilton, Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup. This film may have an older audience in mind, but its characters’ personal issues are universally felt on the whole.

In The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, British retirees from different walks of life travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel, run by an over enthusiast young entrepreneur called Sonny (Dev Patel) who is having girlfriend and mother troubles as well. Less luxurious than its advertisements, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways, resulting in the intrepid explorers having the opportunity to face their personal issues and fears.The heart of the story is one of personal growth and development, and it’s fairly obvious from the start how things will pan out. Coupled with the bustling, colourful and accommodating sights and sounds of India, it’s free advertising for the national tourist board angling for the grey pound. However, the obvious attributes aside, it’s never clear how the individuals will change – if at all, which keeps the adventure from stagnating.

As with any escapism scenario, there are the inevitable presentations of the best of the Indian lifestyle, minus any of the threats, but the magical performances and detail invested in local culture save this film from becoming patronisingly contrived Eat Pray Love.

Madden turns to his award-winning muse Dench in this, giving her one of the most delightful opening scenes in a film seen in a very long time that perfectly captures the patronage of latter-day existence, as well as encapsulates the feelings of being left behind in an often ludicrous technological world. Madden never allows any of his characters to wallow too long, and Ol Parker’s adaptation of Deborah Moggach’s novel is full of wonderful laugh-out-loud retorts that only a true British sense of sardonic humour could deliver. Simultaneously, these show the fight left in all, a long way off the grave.

Dench as recently widowed Evelyn is ever remarkable and the comparative member against which all the others’ growth is compared. But on the contrary, Evelyn harbours self doubts that makes Dench’s character warmer and gentler than her usual strong-headed types. But it is Smith as old-school and racist Muriel who gives the ultimate linchpin performance, and who poses the biggest viewing challenge. She brilliantly balances her character’s prejudicial nature with that of hidden wisdom, and offers the greatest and most intriguing character arc to follow.

Nighy is always a fizzy tonic to watch, and doesn’t have to try that hard to inject quirky coolness in any film. But as long-suffering Douglas married to social climber and neurotic Jean (Wilton) is perhaps cast in the shadow and the least convincing character of the bunch as the downtrodden spouse – even if it’s an interesting choice for him to play.

Patel simply has a ball, camping it up as ever loyal and inspirational forward-thinker Sonny, the youngster of the pack who realises that by catering for the older clientele in a somewhat big-hearted but misguided fashion that youth often adopts finds his residents’ life experience invaluable. It’s a subtle lesson in not being quick to write off the senior input on the whole, but still suffers from the odd moralistic moment at times.

Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a delightfully exotic experience shared with the best of British acting royalty abroad that is both frank and fanciful, and bursting with charming wit.

4/5 stars

By @FilmGazer