Jul 24, 2013 05:26 PM
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The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel surprised me not just with its content or acting but also the way it presented the Pink City Jaipur. How many times have we come across a Hollywood movie which portrayed an Indian city just like another character in the movie.
Take out Jaipur from the script and the entire narrative falls apart.
Initially, I wanted to watch the movie for Dame Judy Dench and Maggie Smith. One don't get to watch these two cynosures together - barring Tea with Mussolini - and this movie made gave me that rare chance to see these outshining each other on silver screen.
There is nothing much to the story as such. Couple of retirees come to India to spend vacation in a hotel and fall in love with the country and decide against going back.
Celia Imrie - best remembered for her role in THE CALENDER GIRLS - is a revelation. She is just too good to express in words. Penelope Wilton is quite irritating as a nagging wife who keeps nagging another man and is not satisfied with her life, but I guess that is the demand of her character and she couldn't have done it better. Bill Nighy and Tom Wilkinson fit their parts.
Among the Indian actors Lillette Dubey is okay and Dev Patel is fine, nothing extraordinary about their performances or the parts they got to portray.
The homosexual portion in the movie has been dealt with great care, avoiding stereotypes(No Karan Johar syndrome).
And now coming to my favourite Dench & Smith, they are simply outstanding. Both of them shine in their parts. Sometimes, I just wonder if there is any role that these two can't portray with ease. They are simply outstanding and it surprises me that Dench has secured just one Academy award, so far.
That too for best supporting actress and for a movie where she didn't appear for more than 10 minutes(Shakespeare in Love).
This movie stays true to the novel and that is something not easy to achieve. Even if you are not the fan of the starcast, do yourself a favour, rent it and sit together with your family to enjoy the drama that this movie presents.
