Monday, April 22, 2013

REVIEW: THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2011)


Look at the star cast. Did I need anymore reason to watch this movie? Plus it featured India and I am always on the lookout for movies based here cos I am always curious on how foreign directors capture our country. And most of the times I've been happy. And this movie gives me no reason to be sad. Excellent watch.

SYNOPSIS: 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.

Based on the novel by Deborah Moggach,screenwriter Ol Parker does pretty nice job of adapting it to screen. The story does slow down a little bit here and there but you never get disinterested. You want to know how exactly these people will fare as they go on about their life. So kudos to Ol for not making this drama about retirees seem so much out of sync with the younger generations. That's why it was one of the biggest hits that year. Anybody could enjoy it.

Director Paul Madden does a great job of making us care for the characters from frame one where he introduces them in an absorbing prologue. From then on we are totally invested in them cheering them on as they reach India to a, much better on paper and ruin in real life hotel, for retirees. He then captures the emotional quirky and effervescent side of India with panache. He puts them in situations which makes us laugh and cry at the same time. And we want them to come out trumps as we sit glued for a whopping runtime of 126 minutes. A little on the longer side but was necessary i guess, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy and plus the other veterans of British cinema have just given a mindblowing performance which brings tears to your eyes as you see them fighting at an age where they should have settled down in their lives. But there's a zest in their approach as they go about as if nothings the problem in their lives and eventually come out trumps. And thankfully the women characters are very strong as they usually are.  And all this brought to life by seven different characters played by seven of the best actors in the world. In one word brilliant. And special mention to Dev Patel as the owner of the hotel with no business acumen. Well done.

Cinematography is very well done. India's color n confusion has been captured brilliantly. Music is also nice complementing the situations onscreen. Some folk music has been used as per the locations and that helps a lot. Editing is nice as well.

ALL IN ALL a movie which makes think- Will the West ever take the family system strongly? Will they ever realize there's nothing more important than your mom and dad? Guess they've to learn something from India as well as much as we have to learn from them.

HighTension Meter- 8/10.


Best Quote: Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not yet the end. 




  

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