The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

First Hit:  At times funny and joyous while at other times it seemed to be trying to tell too many sub-stories.

There is always a risk in creating a follow-on film because of the comparison between it and the original. Sometimes films move the same character into a totally different situation, others expand or further develop the original storyline. Here we have the later.

Making a success of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, proprietor Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) and Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) have set their sights on adding a new hotel to their mix. They make a pitch for co-financing with a San Diego company.

Then we have Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench) and Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy) are still dancing around getting together as a couple – “we aren’t together, but we aren’t not together”. And, Madge Hardcastle (Celia Imrie) is still trying to decide whom to settle down with. Then there's Norman Cousins (Ronald Pickup) and Carol Parr (Diana Hardcastle) who are testing each other about the exclusivity or non-exclusivity of their relationship.

Besides these stories and other smaller stories and then there is the major story of Sonny and Sunaina (Tina Desai) planning and having their wedding - which is treated as a second hand story. Then there is this story about a hotel inspection by Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) who happens to fall in love with Sonny’s mother Mrs. Kapoor (Lillete Dubey). Their interaction lacked chemistry which is unfortunate because it could have been a interesting story (for a follow-on film).

There is a lot going on in the film and it’s great that the director wanted to tell something of all the stories, however it became distracting.

Patel is a wonderful personality and his joy in what he does brings his character to life. Smith is really great as a dour person. There are moments of shared internal dialogue that are wonderful as well. Dench is strong as someone who wants to reach out and is afraid to take the step. Nighy is amazing and is such a joy in this film. The film is much better with him in it. Imrie is really good as someone who is doing her best to settle down. Pickup was OK as someone who likes his fantasies but wants to be in reality. Hardcastle is strong as the woman who wants a full relationship but tries to be less monogamous. Desai is joyous to watch as the bride to be. Gere is OK as the hotel inspector want-to-be writer. While Dubey was just OK as Sonny’s mother. Ol Parker wrote the screenplay which was a bit too busy. John Madden captured lots of the Indian magic of Jaipur – one of my favorite cities in India.

Overall:  I enjoyed the film. I liked seeing the city of Jaipur again but felt that there were too many strong stories being expressed.

My Old Lady

First Hit:  Powerful acting in a dark film about the effect of affairs on family.

This was a very pointed film about how an affair can affect a child’s view of themselves and the world around them.

Mathias Gold (Kevin Kline) has nothing left except an apartment, in Paris, left to him by his estranged father. He travels to Paris to claim his inheritance only to discover that Mathilde Girard (Maggie Smith) and her daughter Chloe Girard (Kristin Scott Thomas) both live in the apartment.

In French law someone can sell their apartment (Girard) to someone else, in this case Mathias Gold’s father, and the new owner pays the old owner a  monthly fee while continuing to live there. This is a way that an apartment can be sold for a bargain and the old owner has a place to stay, some money in hand and an ongoing income.

Mathias discovers that Mathilde was his father’s lover. With this set up, the actors explore the dynamics of how this affects the families of the people having the affair. Paris, the city of love, is highlighted here as shots of the neighborhood where the apartment rests, and the Seine are wonderful.

The dynamic of Chloe and Mathias is pointed, extraordinary, while the emotionally blind Mathilde slowly becomes aware of the impact of her past actions.

Kline was amazing in the range of his pain and charm as expressed when he tells Chloe of his mother’s death and his singing of an aria with a stranger on the Seine. Smith was powerful in her own belief that what she did was OK, and as she begins to see what effect it had on others. Scott Thomas’ transition from arrogance to compassion for both herself and Mathias was a site to behold - sublime. Israel Horovitz wrote and directed this powerful yet dark film.

Overall:  This was a very good film, and it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea.

Quartet

First Hit:  An overall entertaining film and at times truly enjoyable, but at times, it also suffered from being slow and without focus.

The setting is a home for retired English musicians of all types. Although the grounds of this home are immaculate as well as the home, the storyline has you believe that they are next to closing if they don’t get more money.

Despite that this storyline isn’t believable; it does provide a reason for these retired musicians to put a show to collect money. As they meet and practice, the film audience gets an opportunity to glimpse what their life is like as they age. The clarinet player suffers from heart problems but his love for playing music is all he wants to do. Voices of these aging opera singers don’t quite have the tonal quality nor do they hit the high notes like they use to but their love for the music and memories of how they use to be are ever present.

The story is mainly about Jean Horton (Maggie Smith) coming to live in the house. Her former husband Reginald Paget (Tom Courtenay) lives there and is upset that he wasn’t consulted about her coming to live there.

There is a strong story line about their history. Reginald’s friends Wilf (Billy Connolly) and Cissy (Pauline Collins) come up with an idea to have the four of them, including Jean, to sing as a quartet, like they did years earlier.

Resolving their differences is what brings the drama and the comedy is about how they see each other, act towards each other and how they see themselves.

Smith is resurrecting a roll she had in “Marigold Hotel”, grumpy and somewhat mean at the beginning then comes out of her shell. Overall it was OK. Courtenay was good as the former jilted husband of Smith. His most touching sequence was when he as teaching young kids about Opera. Connolly was the funniest of the actors and his shtick was to be a romancer or a wanna be romancer. Collins was very enjoyable as the memory challenged woman with a big heart. Michael Gambon as Cedric Livingston was a lot of fun as the directorial arrogant ringleader of the show. Ronald Hardwood wrote the screenplay and although uneven, overall it was good. Dustin Hoffman directed this and generally it was OK.

Overall:  This was an fun film to watch although a bit uneven.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

First Hit:  This was a lovely film with fine acting based in a wonderful story.

When it comes to retiring and what to do next, the options can be very limited based on finances.

Here we have a group of British elderly people who, for mostly financial reasons, find this ad for “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” in Jaipur, India. A recently widowed Evelyn (played by Judi Dench) had always left everything thing up to her husband and when she finds out that selling the flat they live in will only pay off the bills he accumulated, she sees this as a way to do something on her own and to not be controlled any longer.

Graham (played by Tom Wilkinson) is a judge who decides he has to make something right that has been bothering him since his young days in India. Douglas and Jean (played by Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton respectively) are married and with their meager savings given to their daughter who is involved in a internet startup, they have little or nothing to live on. She is perpetually angry and judgmental of everyone, while Douglas is loyal, inquisitive, interested in life and wants to make the best of everything.

Muriel (played by Maggie Smith) is a physically rundown house manager, who has nothing to do, is bitter, racist, and needs a hip operation. Norman (played by Ronald Pickup), who is a very aged "player" looking for the next woman he can score on.

And lastly Madge (played by Celia Imrie) who can’t stand watching her grandkids as her life’s work, wants passion of the heart and loves men. They make the arduous trip to Jaipur together slowly becoming traveling companions along the way. When they arrive, the Hotel (for the “elderly and beautiful”) is run down and looks nothing like it does in the brochures.

Most want to go home but as they begin to settle in, most find things of interest to explore:  Graham, a past relationship; Douglas, exploring the many sights of India; and Evelyn, a job as a coach for a telemarketing firm. Meanwhile Muriel, is bitter about how she ended up here but slowly discovers she has something to offer. Jean holds on to what isn’t (that she has money, is in England, and is happy) and makes appears to make Douglas’ life difficult. Norman tries to hit on Madge but is rebuffed as being not enough, but actually finds the "top of the mountain." 

Madge, tries to hit on men and but is slowly understanding that time may have passed her by. The Hotel is run by Sonny (played by Dev Patel) who has high hopes. But as a dreamer he’s great and as a businessman he is not very adept. His controlling mother wants the building sold and Sonny to come live with her in Delhi.

However, Sonny has a gorgeous girlfriend named Sunaina (played by Tena Desae) who is disliked (although unmet) by Sonny’s mother and Sunaina believes in Sonny.

As Sonny says’ throughout the film: Everything will be perfect in the end, if it is not yet perfect, it is not yet the end. And as you will guess by now, at the end of the film, it is all perfect.

Dench is wonderful as a woman believing that she can and will take charge of her life, her scenes with the telemarketers were beautifully spot on. Wilkinson was sublime as the judge who wanted to right a long past wrong. Nighy steals every scene he is in. He is a joy to watch. Wilton was downright perfect as a woman who is bitter for all that isn’t in her life. Smith was transformative in this role as she slowly learns her next step. Pickup is gangly charming but actually gets real and finds love. Imrie is fun and interesting to watch as she works herself up to be a woman wanted by men. Patel exudes Indian charm and optimism and brings a smile each time he’s on screen. Desae is beautiful and in her beauty demands you watch her in the scenes she is in. Ol Parker wrote a charming script with strong characters for each. John Madden put this great ensemble together and orchestrated them to make a very fun, poignant (for older people) watchable film.

Overall:  Although many can enjoy this film, the older audience will get far more out of it – it helps to have experience with the challenges of age.