El exótico Hotel Marigold

Admit it: when was the last time you saw a film in which the seven lead roles are taken by British actors in their 60s and 70s? Never - right? So this is a movie aiming at a very different demographic than the usual teenage-targeted Hollywood fare and it is a refreshing and welcome change that will delight young as well as old.

The doyennes of the cast are Judi Dench and Maggie Smith who are both now in their late 70s but sparkle here as very different lonely singletons. Bill Nighy and Penelope Wilton play a sweet and sour couple in the thespian menu. Tom Wilkinson is a retired judge with a secret. Finally Celia Imrie and Ronald Pickup are two more sad souls who might or might not find solace together. All of the seven find that retirement can be 'outsourced' to an Indian hotel that certainly looks exotic in the (photoshopped) brochure, but actually needs somewhat more than the enthusiasm of its young manager (Dev Patel with romantic problems of his own).

The location of the hotel is Jaipur in northern India which is a character in itself and, since I have visited the city, I can attest to the wonderful vibrancy and colour of this extraordinary metropolis. But,as our seven intrepid Brits learn, India requires some adjustment to one's expectations and lifestyle and some make the adjustment sooner or better than others. A cynic might dub this multiple storyline of comedy and romance as "Love Geriatrically" and the characters are rather stereotypical, but this is a delightful movie that makes the viewer feel good about life.

Marigold Hotel was overall a very pleasant film with a distinct feel-good factor - helped by the vibrancy of the Indian setting. Judi Dench is excellent as always, and Bill Nighy really captures the child within for this film. In fact, all of the cast were superb, although Dev Patel suffered from a little overacting! The plot is more like a moral, and explores a 'young at heart' theme throughout. I think the vision of the film is somewhat confused at times. It seems to shift from a full-on comedy to a film about ageism, and it doesn't flow as well as one would hope. Also, Maggie Smith's character (although superbly played) is a slightly far fetched transformation, so I would have liked to see more focus on her throughout the film. Overall though, a nice, entertaining piece of work. Perhaps not as good as you would expect from such a star-studded cast, but nevertheless, very entertaining!

Fist of all, anyone who has given this film a score of one (and some have), obviously have no sense of humour. If they are in the UK then they probably watched the film at a free viewing like I did, as it hasn't been released yet, and they have no right to slag it off seeing at it cost them jack. Once it is released to paying customers, I can assure you that this score will go up considerably.

The title can be a little off putting but anyone who has seen "Fried Green Tomatoes At The Whistle Stop Cafe" will tell you that a daft title is not a precursor to a bad film. Far from it.

I came out of the cinema exhausted. The range of emotions this movie drags out of you, and the speed it does it, is incredible and I have to thank the scriptwriters and director for that. It is a while since I saw a movie that made me laugh out loud so much and so frequently. Dev Patel's character is one of the most likable you will ever come across but then all the characters, bar one, have characteristics that just grow on you.

It's a shame that Ronald Pickup and the beautiful Celia Imrie aren't shown on the poster as they are just as responsible for the enjoyment I got from this film as the other "more famous" members of the cast.

This is a great film that will have you crying and laughing in equal measure but in the end will leave you with that really warm feeling inside that you get when you have just seen a classic.

Do not be put off by the title and ignore the current score this film has until it starts to get up to at least an 8.

I am in that age group that is thinking more and more about what happens when I retire. If the story portrayed in the film can be regarded as even remotely possible then sign me up today.

It was funny to the point that the whole audience wasn't just laughing but laughing loudly and repeatedly.

I didn't care about the actors and actresses playing the roles, just the characters. There is racism, snobbery, love, joy and sadness in just the right amounts throughout the story.

The movie is two hours of escapism with just a small undertone of moral fibre thrown in. It will probably make the move to DVD and television quite quickly; in this case a good thing for the right reasons.

There really is no movie that everyone likes, so my summary isn't exactly surprising. However, more than most movies, this one will probably have polarized views from audiences. If you appreciate films with characters studies, then you should love "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel". If you prefer action or something very much like the typical Hollywood fare, then this film is definitely NOT for you!

This movie is about a group of elderly Brits were are brought together by a common thread--they have great difficulty affording their twilight years and see an ad for the Marigold Hotel in India. They each realize that retirement or surgery would be MUCH cheaper there so they arrive in a completely foreign land--with traditions, culture and rules which are practically nothing like home. Some adapt very well to their new land, some definitely do not--but it's all an adventure and voyage of discovery where each learns more about themselves--as does the audience. Sometimes, the results are a bit formulaic and predictable but very often they are not--and that makes the film very likable. I also like that the older folks in the film are NOT the usual 'cute' oldsters you see in films--they have sexual urges, difficulties, flaws and hidden longings. Exceptionally well acted and directed and a joy for this reviewer.