To my profound relief, I found that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was playing in my area after all. It's really annoying that movie websites don't make this clear until the last moment.
It was very warm and funny, but also sad and moving as well. There were seven British retirees, as well as a few significant Indian characters, in the movie. There was only one married couple among the Brits, while the others were single, divorced, or widowed. In fact, Judi Dench's character had to sell her flat because her late husband had kept her in the dark about his debts. She goes to India instead of moving in with her son to be independent, and she even gets a job for the first time. (I found the coincidence of her being hired by the same company where Sonny's girlfriend worked a little too pat. Sonny is the hotelkeeper played by Dev Patel.) Tom Wilkinson has a great part as a judge who grew up in India long ago and wants to return to find an old lover. Maggie Smith's character only goes to India to get a hip replacement, and intends to leave once she's healed. But of course plans and people have a way of changing.
There's some cliches and predictability to the plot, though I was pleasantly surprised at times. I also felt that the Mrs. Ainsley character was underwritten to the point that I can't remember her first name. Her actions were all over the place and her motivations unclear. But otherwise I was mostly satisfied and glad to have seen the movie. It was certainly well worth missing the Avengers for, at least until next week.
I hope that Hysteria will similarly not disappoint when it comes out later this month. Surely it too will not be hard to find in theatres?
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