This charming film was released last year and stars the best of British: Maggie Smith (Harry Potter), Judi Dench (James Bond), Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Celia Imrie (Dinnerladies), Tom Wilkinson (Batman Begins), Penelope Wilton (The Borrowers) and Ronald Pickup (Prince of Persia).
Directed by John Madden, perhaps best known for Shakespeare in Love and Mrs Brown (both starring Judi Dench), this feel good movie is set in Jaipur in India where a group of pensioners have decided to live out their golden years in 'luxury and comfort' in the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel run by the enthusiastic but ever so slightly incompetent Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire).
Dench is a widower who has had to sell her flat after it was revealed her husband had put them into hundreds of thousands worth of debt so decides to move to India instead of having to be a burden on her son; Nighy and Wilton a couple who, after investing in their daughter's internet enterprise, have almost no money left; Imrie a grandmother who is looking for her next husband; Pickup an old romantic looking for one final fling before he goes; Wilkinson a judge who has had enough and wants to move back to India and look for a mysterious someone from his past; and finally Smith is a racist old bat who lives alone and needs a hip replacement so, to get one quicker than she would in Britain, she is sent to India armed with Hobnobs and pickle.
The film follows the experiences of these folks in India, how some embrace and fall for the culture and the others resist to the point of becoming quite hideous human beings - and remarkably I do not count Maggie Smith's character in this latter camp. Secrets are revealed and romances are forged showing that age need not matter when love and sex are involved!
Thankfully you do not see any sex, its just referred to quite frequently, especially when Pickup's character is on screen!
What I really loved about this film was that the story was so simple but absolutely everyone acted their hearts out. These films and characters are cake-walks for most of the actors but they weren't lazy, they created people to root for, those to cry over, and personalities you absolutely wish you could encounter just once in your life.
My particular favourites were Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson's characters who become great friends whilst in India, confidantes in their woes, but also something of a teacher/pupil relationship where Wilkinson helps Dench to settle in to India and Dench helps Wilkinson to find what he is looking for.
Of course all the characters are brilliant, Smith is so unashamedly racist it makes you want to punch her - yes, actually punch an old lady who gets around in a wheelchair. Nighy and Wilton have such an uneven relationship that if the husband was not so relaxed he would have left his spiteful wife many years ago, in fact Wilton's performance made me uncomfortable at times because I remember her so fondly as Homily in The Borrowers!
Imrie and Pickup are terrific as the ones unwilling to let go of their youth, determined to seduce and win another partner in life no matter how many wrinkles they have.
Every single character is suffering in some way, even the ever bright and cheerful Sonny played by the wonderful Dev Patel. One of the original Skins graduates Patel radiates warmth as Sonny, but is being restricted by the demands of his mother and her traditions who refuses to let him marry his love, a university graduate who works in a call centre. He also gets some brilliant lines such as "there are so many countries who do not care about their old people that we can capitalise on this!" May not be exact wording but you get the jist, and its very true.
We do not have a culture of care when it comes to old age in this country, we do look to ship our parents to old folks homes rather than take care of them ourselves. Equally we are all living longer with less money so if a 'Best Exotic' comes up in my parents future old age I think they would be very tempted to move across to India and live their last years in vibrancy and getting to eat continuous curry.
The film was incredibly beautiful, not shying away from the poverty but also not dwelling on it. It was the most authentic representation of India according to my parents who have actually been where it was filmed. The ending was reminiscent of John Madden's Oscar winner Shakespeare In Love, with one character grouping them together to explain how it will all end, and I'm pleased to say it was on a reasonably positive note!
Theres not much more I can say without spoiling details of the plot. I'll just leave off with if you feel like you need a film that tugs gently at your heart strings, offers beautiful scenery, and displays absolutely the cream of British acting talent you will not find a better film than this one. Truly deserving of Five Stars.
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