Big Screen Blurb: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

It's retirement made easy. It's the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Oh sure, you have to move from your native homeland to a strange...and by 'strange' I don't mean JUST 'foreign', but rather 'dirty', 'chaotic' and borderline 'third world'...country. However, when you consider the promise of luxurious living within a budget, well, you're probably willing to contend with dirty streets (and dirty everything), strange food, etc in exchange for a little pampering when your bank account may not warrant it.

So, off we go. Meet Graham (Tom Wilkinson). He's a judge who is fed up with everything, including hiding his true sexual identity...so, off he goes. Meet Muriel (Maggie Smith). She's got health problems that have her fed up with just about everything and everyone...Muriel's quite the biggot, you know. So, off she goes. Meet Evelyn (Judi Dench). Her husband has recently passed, leaving her to deal with matters of the tech and legal variety that are quite foreign. Therefore, she's looking to get away to the good life. Meet Douglas and Jean. They are essentially flat broke and not accustomed to it. Jean expects...check that--demands the sweet life and souring investments in the couple's daughter have meant hard times. With that in summary, all head off to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, promising luxurious everything in the utmost of exotic settings. Is it? Hmm...you know how, years ago,  advertising got a sour reputation for over-promising and under-delivering? That, in a nutshell is the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Make no mistake--this is not deception...far from it. It's a vision. The hotel's manager, Sonny, is projecting a dream. His vision is what he promotes. Unfortunately, it does not match the reality of what the patrons moved thousands of miles to buy. It's more accurately named, the Rundown Dilapidated Ruin.

What ensues is, not really a comedic story about the residents adjusting to renewed expectations. Rather, what we experience is a tale of relationships: the loving relationship that had been little more than a glimmer in Graham's eye during his childhood; embracing those you've previously held bigoted ideas about; the coming to grips the notion that you're with someone that you really should not be; and, overcoming family prejudice to love the one you love. Yadayadayada...we experience it all with the convergence of a cast of characters amid the ruins of an eternal optimist's dream.

It's pretty good. I'll go with 3.0 Stars on this one. Honestly, I was expecting a comedy. Sure, it has its funny moments, but make no mistake, this one is clearly anchored in the drama genre. I was told to see it..."it's this funny movie about a bunch of retired people moving to India to live in what they think is a grand, plush hotel and it's really a dump". Well, that's true...kinda. This one isn't a laugh-a-minute flick that's going to give you sore knees from all of that slapping! It's deep, thought-provoking stuff that will prompt you to enter that stage of life and encounter this great cast's every worry right along with them. That makes it a movie worth seeing.

Actually, it was the cast that sold me long before I heard anything about this one, plot-wise. Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and the rising Dev Patel? Who could ask for more, right? Not I, said the Yada-meister. That's some acting power; and they didn't disappoint. Each nailing their role to near perfection that would give any understudy volumes of notes.

Bottom line: see this one, but know what you're getting into--get ready for something pretty deep with some light-hearted moments. And enjoy! Honestly, there's no need to go BIG here...rent it on BluRay when it comes out on September 18th.

True...OUT!