[yasr_overall_rating]
As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy – posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals – Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel.
Hotel Manager Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) seems to be at odds with everything and everyone involved in the management of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. His controlling nature and inability to see the bigger picture has a devastating effect on the hotel’s future as well as his own future with fiancée Sunaina (Tina Desai). From an initial meeting with expansion investors, to room assignments for tenants, Sonny’s know-it-all demeanor is rude and intrusive for no apparent reason. When he realizes that one of his newest tenants could be a disguised Hotel Inspector, he goes out of his way to provide the best accommodations and service to heighten his chances of getting financial support to expand.
Sacrificing all other tenant’s needs, Sonny dotes upon Guy (Richard Gere), the one guest that he thinks will get him closer to his goal. When Sonny’s family comes to town to prepare for the wedding, Guy starts getting cozy with Sonny’s mom (Lillete Dubey) and complicates things even further. The strongest voice of reason in the entire film is Sonny’s confidant Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith), who is also a tenant with a financial stake in the hotel. As various relationships develop between the long-term tenants, the complications of keeping them afloat are just as unpredictable as Sonny’s management style. Muriel who gives opinions but doesn’t offer advice, is successful in steering Sonny through some of his toughest decisions while coping with her own medical shortcomings.
In spite of all the craziness in his life, Sonny manages to pull off a successful wedding and appropriate funding to open the Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. To his credit, Director John Madden uses this film to educate us about everyday living in India and the rich heritage involved within the culture of India with regard to weddings. He also has a strong line of supporting actors that fill important and meaningful roles. The disconnect though, is that too many distracting elements take away from a meaningful and logical route to success that makes the journey worth it.
In theaters March 6th
