Went to see this yesterday at Leeds/Bradford Odeon, having enjoyed the first movie.
IMDB says: As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel.
In this John Madden (Shakespeare in Love, Proof) directed film, with an Ol Parker (Now is Good, Imagine Me and You) written screenplay, we return to India and pick up with our old friends Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire, The Last Airbender) and fiancée Sunaina (Tina Desai, Sense 8, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel). Long-term residents Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench, Quantum of Solace, Philomena), Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy, Love Actually, About Time), Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie, Calendar Girls, Bridget Jones's Diary), Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Atlantis), Carol Par (Diana Hardcastle, A Good Woman, If Only) and Muriel Donnelly (Dame Maggie Smith, Harry Potter series, Downton Abbey).
When Sonny and Muriel try to do a deal with American hotel magnate Ty Burley (David Stathairn, The Bourne Legacy, Alphas), they know that an undercover inspector will be coming to stay to evaluate them. On the same day, newcomers Lavinia Beech (Tamsin Greig, Shaun of the Dead, Tamara Drew) and Guy Chambers (Richard Gere, An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman) arrive and Sonny convinces himself that the inspector must be Chambers. Trying hard to impress, he even tries to set up his mother (Lillete Dubey, Monsoon Wedding, The Lunchbox) with him when he takes a shine to her. Meanwhile, his best friend and perceived rival Kushal (Shazad Latif, Toast of London, We are Monster) buys the hotel he had his eye on for the second best exotic marigold hotel.
The film is beautiful in its stunning location, full of colour, and realistic in its portrayal of the older generation, rather than static caricatures that seem to be the main-stay of comedies more often than not, and the acting is superb (as it should be with such a fine cast), but for me, this is sub-par to the original. I could guess all of the twists before they came in the lacklustre plot but it was still a nice way to spend just over 2 hours. I did enjoy the choreographed dancing at the wedding and am hoping that this is typical of an Indian wedding (having not been lucky enough to attend one). Fingers crossed :)
Triva: In the film Evelyn (Judi Dench) says to Muriel (Dame Maggie Smith) is 19 days older than her, when in real life Maggie Smith (b. 12/28/34) is in fact exactly 19 days younger than Dame Judi Dench (b.12/9/34).
Quotes: Some you win and some you learn. 6.5/10
#TheSecondBestExoticMarigoldHotel #Odeon #JudiDench #BillNighy #MaggieSmith #RichardGere #Odeon
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