The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel DVD Review

Title: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

About the Movie:

An award-winning, all-star cast, led by Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, and Maggie Smith, lights up this “buoyant comedy laced with genuine emotion.” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) When seven cash-strapped seniors decide to “outsource” their retirement to a resort in far-off India, friendship and romance blossom in the most unexpected ways. Smart, life-affirming and genuinely charming, THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL is a “true classic that reminds us that it’s never too late to find love and a fresh beginning at any age.” (Rex Reed, The New York Observer)

Special Features:

BD

• Behind the Story: Lights, Colors and Smiles
• Casting Legends
• Welcome to the “Real” Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
• Trekking to India: “Life is Never the Same”
• Tuk Tuk Travels

DVD

• Behind the Story: Lights, Colors and Smiles
• Casting Legends

My Review:

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was a real treat! It follows seven British seniors who are also strangers to one another as they leave England destined for the supposedly posh Best Exotic Marigold Hotel for the Elderly and Beautiful in India. However, they are in for a rude awakening when they arrive. Not only do they experience the culture shock of India and it’s massive crowds, but the hotel is NOTHING like the brochure describes!

I laughed and felt bad for these poor seniors because I would freak if that was my hotel. One senior had no door on her room because who needs a door right? Another senior discovered a flock of birds in her room. The phones didn’t work and the plumbing was old and leaky. The young man who was the manager/owner of the hotel was hilarious! He had such a positive attitude and tried to turn all of these faults that were pointed out to him into something good. He mentioned a saying that was repeated a few times throughout the film that goes something like this: “Everything will be right in the end. If it’s not right, it means it’s not the end”. He used that a few times to justify the state of repair of the hotel.

Each character has their own story. There’s the woman whose husband died and is searching for her way in the world and the man who returns to India to be close to the man he fell in love with many years before. My favourite character was the crochetedly older lady who went to India for a hip replacement. I loved watching her transformation in the movie. She has a hard exterior but inside she does have a good heart.

Another aspect of the film that fascinated me was learning about the way of life in India. It is so different than what I am accustomed to! I remember learning about India in my geography class in high school and this movie touched upon a few things like the caste system and the Untouchables and the Hindu funeral service. They also showed how the exotic food affects people who aren’t used to it and even the smells are foreign!

I loved The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It made me smile and laugh and want to travel to India!

Check out this video of the Spice Goddess making Butter Chicken!

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.