The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Stranded midway

Slightly politically incorrect English retirees come to a slightly oversold Indian luxury hotel. "I wouldnt eat anything with a name I can't pronounce' announces Muriel ( Maggie Smith) more or less setting the tone of the cultural irreverence that is supposed to draw the laughs. Douglas (Bill Nighy) in contrast can see the other side of the coin and makes the best of the cultural shock. 'What do you see in this place?' demands to know his wife. 'Children smile at me' he observes. What the audience would like to know is how can it be that some of them had so little idea of what lay in wait in Jaipur an old vestige of the British Empire?. At any rate his wife is the only one who is not transformed by the end of the movie and they all live happily ever after in Jaipur, with the exception of one of them who has a heart attack and dies.
Best scene for me is at the beginning back in England when Maggie is getting no joy out of the 'friendly' call centre based in India as she tries to sign up for some internet service. 'Thank you for your patience, your call is important to us, we will be with you shortly' the recording repeats a-nausea um. 'Please just stay and talk to me ' Maggie begs the Indian girl when she returns from getting advise from her manager. They could have extended this scene, everyone's had this sort of experience, the type that is funny when it happens to someone else.
Overall it was an interesting idea that doesn't altogether come off. There seems to be a lack of energy except for the acting of the young hotel manager who at times is portrayed as enthusiastic but rather simple. Bill Nighy at times seemed to be paralysed as if waiting for his cue. Maggie looked a total misery and Judy Dench probably asked herself what she was doing there.
Having said all that I still did enjoy it though.