The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Directed by: John Madden
Written by: Ol Parker
Starring: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, Tina Desai, Diana Hardcastle, Lillete Dubey, Tamsin Greig, Shazad Latif, David Strathairn, Richard Gere
Comedy/Drama - 122 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 5 Mar 2015
Written by: Ol Parker
Starring: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, Tina Desai, Diana Hardcastle, Lillete Dubey, Tamsin Greig, Shazad Latif, David Strathairn, Richard Gere
Comedy/Drama - 122 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 5 Mar 2015
How kind of director John Madden (2011's The Debt) and writer Ol Parker to go ahead and give away the secret in the film’s title, this is The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Where the first film was mystery, culture shock, and a certain fighting spirit, the sequel has lazy misunderstandings, treading water, and a soap opera feel. The same characters pick up where they left off but perhaps they should have been left alone; blandness and inevitability replace the first script's freshness and originality.
Most Marigold Hotel residents are in some sort of a relationship now so let’s start with the most atrocious one. Bachelor and skirt chaser Norman (Ronald Pickup) is now with long time India resident Carol (Diana Hardcastle). Screenwriter Ol Parker could think up nothing better for them than a transformation into a cartoonish, slapstick couple. While drunkenly rambling on in a cab ride on the way home, Norman thinks he accidentally hires a contract killer to assassinate his girlfriend so we then get half a movie watching Norman chase down cabs and shadow Carol to keep her safe. If only that were the worst of it. Once the awful murder for hire side plot is somewhat solved, the infidelity side plot takes its place and its resolution is one of the dumbest excuses in the long history of film misunderstandings – the old, “I was cheating on you because I thought you were cheating on me!” Get a grip.
Most Marigold Hotel residents are in some sort of a relationship now so let’s start with the most atrocious one. Bachelor and skirt chaser Norman (Ronald Pickup) is now with long time India resident Carol (Diana Hardcastle). Screenwriter Ol Parker could think up nothing better for them than a transformation into a cartoonish, slapstick couple. While drunkenly rambling on in a cab ride on the way home, Norman thinks he accidentally hires a contract killer to assassinate his girlfriend so we then get half a movie watching Norman chase down cabs and shadow Carol to keep her safe. If only that were the worst of it. Once the awful murder for hire side plot is somewhat solved, the infidelity side plot takes its place and its resolution is one of the dumbest excuses in the long history of film misunderstandings – the old, “I was cheating on you because I thought you were cheating on me!” Get a grip.
Back in the land of the somewhat normal, Evelyn Greenslade (Judi Dench, 2012's Skyfall) continues the will they / won’t they get together plot line with Douglas (Bill Nighy, 2014's I, Frankenstein). Both of them keep busy working odd jobs but the script struggles to keep their hints and half sentences of feelings left unsaid seem anything more than frustrating. 13-year olds and 79-year olds seems to have the same problem, they are embarrassed to talk to their crushes.
At least Evelyn and Douglas are not as confused as Madge (Celia Imrie). In the first film, Madge was the unlucky soul who remained without a promising significant other. Now, she has more beaus and suitors than any one girl can handle. Two most eligible bachelors propose to her and she just cannot make up her mind which one she should choose. Perhaps confiding in her more than amiable driver, Babul (Rajesh Tailang), will set her on the right path.
The main plot line and event around which all other happenings transpire is a lavish and traditional Indian wedding. Hotel proprieter, Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), prepares to marry Sunaina (Tina Desai) and must juggle wedding preparations with the possible acquisition of another hotel since the whole idea of catering to the expatriate eldery and beautiful seems to be taking off. Uh oh, Sunaina’s good looking and rich old friend, Kushal (Shazad Latif), is back in town and appears to be moving in on Sonny’s territory, both personally and professionally. What’s a young, earnest entrepreneur to do?
Sonny, working hand-in-hand with his business partner, the no longer xenophobic Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith), pitch their business ideas back in the states looking for investment firms to help set up their new hotel venture. Learning an undercover guest will soon arrive is another chance to introduce another misunderstanding. Lost soul and fledgling writer Guy Chambers (Richard Gere, 2012's Arbitrage) checks into the hotel inspiring hot flashes amongst all the elderly ladies and is joined by younger lady, Lavinia Beech (Tamsin Grieg), a woman looking for a retirement spot for her mother. Who is the undercover agent? It doesn’t really matter, there are too many events misinterpreted and turned upside down before we figure it out.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel sports an impressively large and most-talented cast. Unfortunately, they must work with material obviously never intended to see the light of day because nobody on Earth thought the first film would make so much money. A sequel was inevitable after its box office take even though anyone can see it is lackluster, rushed, and trivial. A murder for hire misunderstanding? Seriously? Do your part and make sure there is not a third exotic hotel film in the next few years containing even more ridiculous shenanigans.
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