The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

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


I am in that age group that is thinking more and more about what happens when I retire. If the story portrayed in the film can be regarded as even remotely possible then sign me up today.

It was funny to the point that the whole audience wasn't just laughing but laughing loudly and repeatedly.

I didn't care about the actors and actresses playing the roles, just the characters. There is racism, snobbery, love, joy and sadness in just the right amounts throughout the story.

The movie is two hours of escapism with just a small undertone of moral fibre thrown in. It will probably make the move to DVD and television quite quickly; in this case a good thing for the right reasons.

Director: 

John Madden

Writers: 

Ol Parker (screenplay), Deborah Moggach (novel)

Stars:

 Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Maggie Smith