Open your bag of popcorn, take a sip of your soda and get ready to spend enjoyable time
some of the cream of the crop British actors in “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” as they create the magic only they can.

They
are lured to a retirement destination in Jaipur, India, by a brochure
promising them a luxurious time at the hotel run by Sonny (Dev Patel of
“Slumdog Millionaire) which has seen much better days. Though he wants
to bring the place back to its glory days his mother wants him to return
home to Delhi and marry the girl she has picked out for him instead of
Sunaina (Tena Desae) the girl he loves.

Evelyn
Greenslade (Judi Dench) is a recent widow left destitute by her husband
and forced to sell her apartment while Douglas and Jean Ainslie (Bill
Nighy and Penelope Wilton) are an unhappily married couple who lost
their money backing their daughter in a business. Muriel Donnelly
(Maggie Smith) is a cantankerous older women who has come to India to
get a hip replacement since it is cheaper than in England and  Graham
Dashwood (Tom Wilkinson) has returned to find a love he lost 40 years
ago. Margie Hardcastle (Celia Imne) is looking for a husband while
Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup), with a pocket full of Viagra, is looking
for sex.

Another
star of the movie is India itself in its noise, poverty, colors and
beauty photographed by Ben Davis letting you discover the city and
country as the characters do.

Directed
by John Madden and the screenplay written by Ol Parker the movie is
sweet, funny and at times unexpectedly moving. Many times you know what
is coming and, yet, something completely different happens. Each
actor and actress brings that something special that they have been
bringing to movies for years and the routine becomes outstanding.

There
are many funny quips that you have to discover for yourself along the
way while the theme of the movie is repeated at the beginning, middle
and, in case you missed it, at the end. It is worth listening to and
remembering.

“The
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” will give you more than most movies do
today especially the sure, easy looking, meaningful performances. See
it!