The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was enjoyable, but not great, and I'm not generally a fan of sequels, especially those which do little more than cash in on the success of their predecessor.  Despite which I still thought it would be a good idea to go and see this particular sequel.  Would I regret my decision?

There isn't much of a plot.  What storyline exists is largely predictable, formulaic and determinedly 'feelgood'.  There are heartwarming conclusions, triumphs over adversity and a Bollywood-style dance sequence.  Box office stuff.  Does this all make for a bad film?  Probably.  Does that mean it's not enjoyable?  Not really.

Once again it's good to see major roles for older actors to shine in.  There are still far too few around, especially for women.  And here there are character depictions to savour.  What else would you expect with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie up there?  And Penelope Wilton is  only on screen briefly, but is perhaps the best of the bunch this time.  But my personal choice for standout performance would be Lillete Dubey as Mrs Kapoor.  She gives her role a depth of character the lines don't fully deserve and shines on screen (although with so many of her scenes being with Richard Gere she may have had an unfair advantage....).

The weakest link in the chain, apart from the script, is Dev Patel as Sonny, the hotel owner.  Whilst his character is supposed to be gauche and overly dramatic, he could still do with some lessons in restraint from his older colleagues.  He is rarely believable.

What makes it all worth while is the gentle humour, the warmth and energy of the older people's relationships, and the mere suggestion that they might still have active sex lives (and how many Hollywood movies can you say that of?)  And India - colour and noise and humanity.  

Best line.  Celia Imrie staring at Richard Gere like a combination of Eric Pickles approaching a pork pie, Jo Brand holding a gateau and Mrs Robinson beckoning Benjamin to her : "I would".

Fun.  But definitely second best.