The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel [HD] (Amazon Instant Video) newly tagged "comedy"

 John Madden's "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" may not be a great film, but it is a thoroughly enjoyable one that will keep you entertained from beginning to end. It isn't challenging in the slightest, which has caused many critics to downgrade it, or damn it with faint praise. All I know is that the audience in the packed theater where I saw the film applauded at the end, and I applauded with them.

By now everyone knows the story of "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." A group of English retirees decides for various reasons (mostly financial) to move to India. The retirement hotel they choose sounds glorious from the brochure, but turns out to be a rundown, if once-grand, hulk run by a young Indian with much more enthusiasm than skill. A lot of comedy ensues, and a little conflict and tragedy; attitudes are changed, old bonds broken, and new bonds forged.

The ensemble cast of British character actors ranges among the super-famous (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith), the moderately famous (Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton) and the not-so-famous (Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie), with the addition of one young rising star (Dev Patel, of "Slumdog Millionaire" fame). All of them are as charming, funny and touching as they possibly could be. Meanwhile, Madden and screenwriter Ol Parker do an excellent job of blending and articulating the various plotlines, aided by the gorgeous photography by Ben Davis and the insinuating score by Thomas Newman. Considering the effort all these master professionals made to give an audience a good time, it seems churlish to give "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" any less than five stars.

click here