By Kyle Osborne
If you’re old enough to remember old TV Shows like ‘The Love Boat’ and ‘Hotel’,then you might think what I’m about to say is an insult, but it’s not…’The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ is like an extended episode of the Love Boat. Seriously.
It uses the same template—you have one central meeting place for a variety of characters, in this case the hotel, instead of the cruise ship—and various storylines involving the cast—and a special guest star—in this case Richard Gere.
I don’t know that the world was clamoring for a sequel to the charming and breezy ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ from four years ago, but I’m glad they made this one, which brings back many of the folks who populated the first film—British acting royalty like Judi Dench and Maggie Smith are among the ensemble who play retired Brits who’ve decided to spend their sunset years in India, pursuing love and dreams and a bit of mischief now and again.
Slumdog Millionaire’s Dev Patel is back as the partial proprietor with stars in his eyes—he and Maggie Smith would like to expand and buy another property with the partnership of a big American chain—they think that Richard Gere might be something of a spy, impersonating a regular guest of the hotel with the intention of seeing if they run a business well enough to be partners. So that’s one storyline.
Another thread is that Patel’s character is getting married, which is a great excuse to film the brilliant colors and great dancing and sheer joy that are the trademark qualities of Indian Weddings—and that’s all the plot you need to know, really.
I am no movie going prude by a longshot—but I found it refreshing to have a movie aimed at adult audiences, and yet it’s rated PG. It’s not a kids’ movie, rather it’s gentle and warm and, frankly, a touch melancholy at times.
I don’t know how well it’ll do at the box office, but I’m giving ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ a friendly 3 out of 4 Stars. Not to be morbid, but we’re going to miss these bunch when they leave us.