Alison Pilling went to see John Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Read what she thought of the film below. The film is currently playing at the Hyde Park Picture House
I’ve just been to see the latest film offering from director, John Madden, perhaps best known for Shakespeare in Love and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is loosely based on the novel by Deborah Moggach, itself based on the premise that Britain doesn’t know what to do with its elderly, and India has the entrepreneurial spirit and economy that might enable it to meet the needs of our aging generation.
The story-line revolves around seven people, all of retirement age, with different reasons to spend time at the hotel. The film is mostly set in the slightly jaded splendour of Jaipur, through which we are guided by Evelyn (Judi Dench), a widow learning to get by on her own having been left impoverished by a caring but ultimately deluded husband. She is joined by Maggie Smith, in India for a hip transplant; a couple in a painfully lengthy marriage (Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton); Graham, a high court Judge, back in India to seek the love of his formative years (Tom Wilkinson); and Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup, both playing singletons, who don’t think life and love should end at 60.
Watching all this national treasure on the same screen is a little intimidating, but luckily this is contrasted by a young, excitable Dev Patel (hero of Skins and Slumdog Millionaire), and his on-screen romance, Tena Desae. Tena’s route to acting stardom began with one of India’s top reality TV shows via modelling and numerous commercial adverts to Bollywood and her first international role. It’d be bitchy of me to suggest this was obvious, but hey, what can I say?
I was drawn to the film because the trailers seem to capture brilliantly the sound, colour, noise, even smell, of the Rajasthan I remember, having spent three months there many years ago. I was not disappointed. Every minute of this film, the vitality of India, the constant activity screams at you. And I loved the contrast of busy, dusty roads with quiet, beautiful, luscious, unkempt gardens. The hotel is both splendid and dilapidated, like its guests – bits falling off here and there but all the more amazing for that reason.
Critics of the film have commented on the stereotypes both of modern India and of the aging characters portrayed. Both charges have some truth but it is intended to show India through the eyes of people who have lived many decades elsewhere. And they see their new home in many ways, from bitter anglophile unable to accept change to newly liberated retiree embracing all new experience. True, Maggie Smith’s racist ex-housekeeper undergoes a change of heart that only Christian Barnard could have emulated! And some of the spicy food style lines are way overplayed. The other bit I struggled with was newly online Evelyn blogging her way through her first month without ever getting a ‘server not responding’ message or a non-committal error report. I can only assume this would have taken the film way over audiences’ two hour tolerance. But the point of the film is to make us laugh, whilst asking questions about old age and about our relationship to other cultures.
It has also been suggested that the film is solely aimed at the generation it describes, but this badly misrepresents audiences who can and should watch and enjoy this film. There are strong performances, as you would expect, from Dench and Patel, but the most touching and poignant scene features Wilkinson meeting his childhood love. I was glad of the dark of the cinema, despite being something of a hard-faced cow as a rule! I’d tell you the names of the two Indian actors who provided those scenes with their immense power but despite 20 minutes googling, I’ve drawn a blank, so I’ll have to wait until the DVD comes out to read the full credits. I realise this makes me a bit pants as a critic but to be fair, you’d think that whilst trying to show an unusual side of India, the filmmakers would be able to credit its actors with the accolades they deserve.
Despite all that, the film gripped me from start to finish. It is very funny, sympathetic and energetic. The plot allows for a satirical glance at some of the more bizarre aspects of our own culture such as the moment when Evelyn tries to explain The Jeremy Kyle Show to her Indian call centre colleagues. It wasn’t too hard, however, to predict how the parallel story lines would eventually merge. As Patel’s character Sonny remarks –‘everything will be all right in the end… if it’s not all right then it’s not the end.’ And so it was, but I went home with that warm, ‘evening well-spent’ mood.
If film-going for you is that meeting place of simple enjoyment, new situations and some gentle questions, this is for you – no age restrictions.
Alison has lived in Leeds for over 30 years and has worked in transport for the last fourteen. She has finally found the courage, however, to throw off her anorak and reveal the creative person within! She has presented at BettaKultcha and is trying her hand at blogging for the first time. She can be found on Twitter at @AnarchicAli
Although this is a well written review this sort of twee Brtiish film makes me want to cry and retch all at the same time.
But it is not tears of emotion but rage that Britain still produces such safe and insulting films. The sort of cultural stereotypes this film peddles went out with It Half Ain’t Hot Mum and yet here we are in 2012 with a film packed full of British hams peddling the same old nonsense.
It doesn’t help that the great fake herself Danme Judy is once again wheeled onto to play herself displaying her usual warmth and light touch. She might be Ok an stage but on on film she sucks. In contrast check out Rebecca Hall for a great actress who understands that stage and film are two very beasts…which is why she is creating some great roles.
Bill Nighy is La Dench’s male alter ego who mistakes overacting for ability and I was thinking back to Peter O’Toole’s amazing perfromance in Venus which might show Bill how to act.
God along knows what the ever reliable Tom Wilkinson is doing in this tosh. I can only assume it was a Rada old boys jolly to India that attracted him to this role. It’s hardly Michael Clayton is it?
I think Alison is right to suggest that there no age restrctions but surely good taste has to play a part?
Hi and thanks. Think I could have made clearer that it’s def not a film to see if you want to be challenged either about old age or our relationship with India.
Yes the odd bits of Aint It.. humour were seriously annoying and out of touch, but I found the fact that two of the best actors weren’t given a mention on any websites I visited was worse. Whether you blame the director or IMDB, it shows racism of a more insidious sort than naff 1980s sitcom jokes.
But as I said, I enjoyed it. I agree with a lot of what you’re saying, but sometimes it’s enough just to be entertained?
Ali