The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel - (May 25th, 2012 – Wide; May 4th,
2012 - Limited): PG-13
Distributor: Fox
Searchlight Pictures (subsidiary of 20th Century Fox)
Opening Weekend Box Office:
#8 with $6,383,203
Domestic Box Office
Gross to-date: $27,187,621
Gross Revenue: $109,374,621
Production Budget:
N/A
Director: John Madden
Though I will forever associate
Judi Dench with the James Bond character M, and Maggie Smith has now
permanently replaced my previous mental image of Hogwarts teacher Minerva McGonagall,
I still respect the tremendous amount of talent that both actresses possess,
and so the idea of the two working together is naturally appealing. In fact, most members of the elderly ensemble
cast of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
have had distinguished and celebrated careers that could help draw a diverse
crowd to this independent comedy-drama; personally, I was curious to see Bill
Nighy outside of the villain role that he has thrived under within the Pirates of the Caribbean and Underworld franchises. Now, Fox Searchlight has delivered some
powerhouse Oscar-winners in the past few years (Slumdog Millionaire, Black
Swan, The Descendants), and
director John Madden has demonstrated a talent for producing story-driven
character studies that demand mass attention (Shakespeare in Love, The Debt),
so needless to say, my hopes were very high.
Even though independent festival sweethearts never rely too heavily on
mass marketing, I was a bit curious over the apparent lack of critical praise
after the film’s limited release…sure, reviews were positive and per-theater
grosses were impressive, but it wasn’t the kind of buzz you would expect from a
future award winner. Either way, despite
the dissonance between the cast and early reactions to the end-product, with my
own memories of India fresh in my mind, there was no way that I was going to
miss The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
Focusing on an eccentric group of
British pensioners, The Best Exotic
Marigold Hotel introduces a number of independent character storylines,
with each septuagenarian reacting to life in a retirement hotel located in
Jaipur, India; one that is far more dilapidated than was initially advertised. Evelyn (Judi Dench) is a recently-widowed
housewife struggling to recover from her late husband’s debts; Graham (Tom
Wilkinson) is a recently-retired high-court judge; Jean (Penelope Wilton) and
Doug (Bill Nighy) seek a more exotic lifestyle, having lost their savings in an
internet venture; Muriel (Maggie Smith) seeks a cheaper, outsourced hip
replacement; while Norman (Ronald Pickup) and Madge (Celia Imrie) each search
for new romance. The Marigold is run by
the energetic and idealistic Sonny (Slumdog
Millionaire’s Dev Patel), who himself is struggling to both keep the hotel
from shutting down, and earn his mother’s approval of his intended future
bride, Sunaina (Tena Desae). Though they
are understandably wary of their new environment, in time, each retiree finds a
way to thrive, the most notable being Evelyn, who begins working as a telemarketing
consultant, and Graham, who was born in India and has now returned to confront
a ghost from his past. With each
character seeking a new start and new possibilities, “The Best Exotic Marigold
Hotel for the elderly and beautiful” presents an unexpected opportunity within
an intense, but wonderfully unforgettable environment.
Though no single character’s story
is overtly compelling, in its entirety, The
Best Exotic Marigold Hotel still sends a sweet and altogether uplifting
message to its audience about hope in the most unexpected of
circumstances. As someone who has
first-hand knowledge of the momentous culture shock that India provides, I can
say that both the script and the acting perfectly conveyed the adjustments that
a sheltered foreigner would have to make, thus providing material for
considerable humor. Watching Bill Nighy
trying to stomach the cuisine or Maggie Smith trying to adjust to the crowds is
just entertaining; and given all that the characters have to put up with, the occasional
freak-out is more than acceptable. And,
speaking of the characters themselves, Maggie Smith is the clear standout, with
her bigotry far more riotous than mean-spirited, which makes her adjustment and
gradual acceptance of the country all the more rewarding. So, with beautiful direction and
cinematography painting an altogether positive and rich portrait of India, the
addition of the strong performances of the talented cast members makes The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel an
enjoyable, if slightly flawed, film.
The last time that Fox Searchlight
decided to focus on India (Slumdog
Millionaire), the narrative offered was so unique and exciting that the
film HAD to be experienced by mass audiences, but with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the multiple character story-arcs
dilute the overall appeal and relegate the end product to a very defined and
limited demographic. With eight
different storylines, it is difficult to become invested in any one character,
especially with the narrative focus jumping around so often, and even then,
getting truly excited by the “conflicts” faced is a tall order. Unless you are really set on watching Judi
Dench find meaning with a new job in India or truly curious as to whether Celia
Imrie will find a rich husband, I fear that you will find yourself rather
bored. The running time is also too
long, and when you consider the fact that the “fish-out-of-water” humor arc
eventually wears thin, it is hard to classify this film as a must-see. As much as I wanted to classify The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as an
early Oscar contender, I think the reality is that I only enjoyed the film so
much BECAUSE I have been to India; and if you don’t belong to that select group,
there is no real need to rush to the theater.
From a box office perspective, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel certainly
wasn’t expected to make much of a mark against some of the big-budget
blockbusters, but upon closer review of the numbers, this offbeat dramedy has
actually turned out to be a powerhouse.
Having already passed the $100 million mark, Fox Searchlight’s newest
project has become the highest grossing specialty film of 2012 and the seventh
highest grossing film for the studio, all thanks in large part to a juggernaut
foreign performance. Now, some of my
readers might be compelled to think that a $27 million domestic total is
something to scoff at, when you look at per-theater averages, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel pulled in
over $27,000 in each showing of its limited release opening, far exceeding the
per-theater openings of both Men in Black
3 ($12,800) and Snow White and the
Huntsman ($14,900). Granted, I have
been unable to find accurate production budget estimates, but I still think
that it is very safe to assume that the film has already turned a profit. In the end, the choice is yours, as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel may not
be perfect, but it still has something to offer to a defined audience.
Overall Recommendation: Medium
