The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: March 6, 2015
6.0
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Mixed or average reviews based on 68 Ratings
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6
TVJerryMar 11, 2015
The gang's all back with less comedy and more romance. Dev Patel's charming innocent has turned neurotic, but almost all of the rest, including Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Billy Nighy and whippersnapper Richard Gere, are bound for amorousThe gang's all back with less comedy and more romance. Dev Patel's charming innocent has turned neurotic, but almost all of the rest, including Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Billy Nighy and whippersnapper Richard Gere, are bound for amorous entanglements. There's a big wedding that adds some festivity, but otherwise it's a parade of predictable interactions. It's slower and less charming than the original with storylines that aren't as original.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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4
NightReviewsMar 9, 2015
When The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was slotted to be released on the same weekend as Marvel’s new powerhouse film franchise The Avengers, no one thought that Fox Searchlight Pictures’ counter-programming colourful indie would perform the wayWhen The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was slotted to be released on the same weekend as Marvel’s new powerhouse film franchise The Avengers, no one thought that Fox Searchlight Pictures’ counter-programming colourful indie would perform the way it did. Adding veteran and polished masterclass actors Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson, the original film surpassed all expectations by grossing well over $130 million at the worldwide box office, alas, allowing for the possibility of a sequel and this review.

Three years later, Dench, Nighy, Smith and rising young star Dev Patel are back for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in all its foreign glory. Spicy, ill-tempered, and relishing in the highly played escapist appeal of its audience, Second proves that although second servings are always a popular portion, it doesn’t mean they always go down as well as the first.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a forced, highly improbable sequel with outrageous plot points, a highly glorified dose of glitter, glam and colourful sari’s that could have been left untainted with its original film.

Jumbling too many sub-plots and not focusing on the greatest issue at hand, Sonny (Patel) – the highly unlikely successful proprietor of the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – is forced to find ways of expanding his fruitful hotel chain for the elderly and beautiful once the occupancy of his first building has reached capacity. With the help of his trusted and self-loathing business partner Muriel Donnelly (Smith), the two embark to the United States to meet with a successful hotel chain and it’s CEO Ty Burley (David Straitharin). With the warning of an investigator coming to the hotel to judge investment potential and the craziness of the wedding between Sonny and his beautiful bride Sunaina (Tina Desai) looming overhead, Sonny along with the hotels patrons must juggle the arrival of a potential rival and childhood friend of Sonny and Sunaina, Kushal (Shazad Latif), a potentially love-seeking investigator Guy Chambers (Richard Gere), a tuk tuk hit man, and ambitious dreams of the first hotel’s customers.

Some of the best scenes of the Second are the scenes that do not intend to be funny at all and the ones that are most emerged into the thick of beautiful Indian culture. A scene involving a newly promoted Evelyn Greenslade (Dench) and her trusted fabrics consultant, scenes between the hopeless romantic Mr.Chambers and Sonny’s mother Mama G (Lillete Dubey), as well as some awkward historical dictating between Douglas Ainslie and a young Indian boy are easily among the most charming scenes in the film – the ones that bring you back and offer a reminder of the original film’s charm.

Dev Patel, who is making a great impression in Hollywood following a very affecting and fantastic turn as Jamal in Slumdog Millionaire, as well as an amazing supporting turn in HBO’s The Newsroom, is enjoying immense success in 2015, relishing the release of not only one film this week, but also his sci-fi project with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp Chappie. The latter is in fact by far the better of the two performances. In The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Patel plays into so many Westernized Indian stereotypes that were tastefully fought off in his feature film debut. Patel’s fast talking, highly irrational, clutter brained Sonny is a departure from Patel’s talents. Hopefully, audiences will see the potential of his talent in the underrated Chappie.

Inconsiderate to conflict and adding too much to the characters and the simple plot that could have been developed better in the writing room, Ol Parker should have focused more on the main issues surrounding the hotel and its faithful customers, as opposed to preposterous hits along with returning characters we have no time and patience for.

While The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel shares in its love for the beautiful and under-utilized Indian landscape, the main view centring each and every frame of the film is the story we care the least about. One of the best qualities of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is its ability to take special moments and make them goofy, depriving all the light-hearted love that so graciously held together the first film. Sadly, it looks like this might be the last time we check into the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Unless of course, it makes money. I say, leave this latest unnecessary sequel for a bored night in with some room service.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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6
BikerjamesApr 21, 2015
The Dev Patel character became an annoying sitcom character in this sequel to the first Marigold Hotel movie. I like him as an actor but the writers made his character so incredibly annoying it was hard to watch. Maggie Smith and Judi DenchThe Dev Patel character became an annoying sitcom character in this sequel to the first Marigold Hotel movie. I like him as an actor but the writers made his character so incredibly annoying it was hard to watch. Maggie Smith and Judi Dench were great as usual and pretty much saved the film for me. That, and the scenery and Indian Culture were the saving graces. Certainly not a great film, but there were enough chuckles to make it a passable time at the movies. Barely.… Expand
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5
TyranianApr 13, 2019
This has major tedium, lameness and self-indulgence. Acting might be fine but film is a dud.
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5
GreatMartinMar 6, 2015
Visiting “The 2nd Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ is like spending time with old, emphasis on old, friends who can be annoying and irritating but are fun to be around.
The star power shines brightly and it is sheer fun just to see the banterVisiting “The 2nd Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ is like spending time with old, emphasis on old, friends who can be annoying and irritating but are fun to be around.
The star power shines brightly and it is sheer fun just to see the banter between the two Dames Dench and Smith, who can be cutting to each other but with an underlying tenderness. It is fun to watch Bill Nighy fumble, stammer and stutter in his pursuit of Dench. Along with Ronald Pickup, Diana Hardcastle, Celia Imrie, Tasmin Greig, Penelope Wilton it is always a joy to watch the world of British actors enjoying every word they say as if it is for the ages.

Though not quite in the Dench and Smith age range the American actors Richard Gere and David Strathairn seem to battling for the ‘silver fox’ title though Dench could give them a run for the title hair wise.

Dev Patel, as the young and very enthusiastic owner of the original Marigold Hotel, and engaged to Tina Desai, is looking to expand and add a second exotic Marigold hotel and isn’t above using his mother Lillete Dubey as a pawn, thrusting her into Richard Gere’s arms to help the expansion plans.

Both on screen and in real life Maggie Smith is 19 days older than Judi Dench and is not above using it to win a point or two. Watching these two Dames you hope they will be around a few more decades to entertain us but then the whole cast, the whole picture has only one job here and that is to entertain us and that they do.

Director John Madden, as he did in the first film, keeps the actors and the action moving, getting out of the way of the actors so the audience can enjoy them as much as he seems to. Ol Parker, the screenwriter, hands one liners to the actors that he knows will get a smile if for no other reason than the way they will deliver them and that they do.

Taking advantage of Jaipur, India, and the customs of the Indian people, the wedding that takes place provides an easy happy ending and an excellent Bollywood number.

Like most sequels “The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” doesn’t have the surprise element of the first but familiarity with the characters, plus the addition of Richard Gere, make up for not having that element of surprise. Add to the satisfaction of seeing superb British actors enjoying themselves, and who actually let you know they are, plus the enthusiasm and chemistry in their scenes will put a big smile on your face.… Expand
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5
erom1943Apr 17, 2015
I second TV Jerry's review, which was right on. I greatly enjoyed the original "Marigold Hotel", but was disappointed at this sequel. The Dev Patel character was way overdone, and as others noted, he was actually annoying.
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5
SpangleSep 7, 2017
Certainly operating with material that is far below what this cast deserves and relying far too much on the age of the characters for comedy (lol they are old and about to die!), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is nonetheless a pleasantCertainly operating with material that is far below what this cast deserves and relying far too much on the age of the characters for comedy (lol they are old and about to die!), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is nonetheless a pleasant return to India. Putting the recently amended Stanton-Walsh-Nighy rule to the absolute test, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel gives Nighy very little to do over the course of its two hour runtime, yet he nonetheless steals the show. Is there anything this senior British charmer could not make passable? The fact that he is 67 years old and looks ten years older is truly tragic. God clearly needs to give him the same immortality that he has given Harry Dean Stanton (that man has looked 92 since he was 50). Setting Maggie Smith up to be killed also serves as a reminder of both her and Judi Dench's mortality, which is tragically coming up upon us. Killing Maggie Smith, however, is the death nail in this, right? There can be no The Third Best Exotic Marigold Hotel unless Nighy just takes over running the hotel, right?

Less funny than the first installment, watching the interplay between these British screen legends, this time joined by Richard Gere who, shockingly, plays against type as a charming middle aged man that makes middle aged women's ovaries explode (yes there is a line dedicated to this). Really stepping out of your comfort zone, eh Richard? David Straithairn also joins the cast in a small role and, as always, his performance serves as a reminder that, for some reason, he continues to be only able to get bit parts. Aside from Good Night, and Good Luck, when has Straithairn ever been able to really scoop up a majority of the film's running time? Frustratingly limited to what feels akin to a cameo role here, Straithairn nonetheless makes the most of it due to the rapport he builds with Smith in the two scenes in which he appears. For their parts, Smith and Dench once again turn in strong performances and further suggest that this is a film that could have been a classic, but is instead a largely fun, care-free, and rather funny film for your grandparents to watch and recommend to you.

On that grandparents note, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel dedicates much of its time to the romance angle, especially that between Nighy and Dench's characters. Operating on the theme that, just because one is old, it does not mean they need to stop living their life, the film's often rather powerful even if its will they or won't they romance between two people allegedly near death is a bit odd. Can these two old folks just get it on already or will the film make us wait for the sequel: The Best Afterlife Marigold Hotel? That said, with all of the reminiscing and looking ahead, the film does manage to be a rather powerful look at how age is not to be seen as a restraint to living one's life to the fullest. If anything, it is the reason to jump unabashed into the night and taking chances because, hey, it is all ending soon anyways.

A fun and light film, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has an excellently charming cast once again, it is a bit spottier with humor than its predecessor, and shows that these tires do have some wear on the tread. That said, as a return to the world of these characters - mainly the actors - is a welcome one with director John Madden able to make this one of those films that seem to defy logic and conventional rating systems. Instead, it is cliche, typical, and wholly unremarkable, but winds up leaving a goofy smile on your face after watching due to the joy expressed on the screen and the tears shed along the way. Though not an unforgettable cinematic classic, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a great film to use when wanting to pull the rug out from under your parents or grandparents and beat them to the punch when it comes to recommending this movie.… Expand
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6
grobertsMar 17, 2015
Am I the only one who noticed that the "Hotel Inspector" plot was lifted from a Faulty Towers episode? John Cleese and Connie Booth should have received credit as co-writers. A pleasant enough sequel, but I don't think I'll pay to seeAm I the only one who noticed that the "Hotel Inspector" plot was lifted from a Faulty Towers episode? John Cleese and Connie Booth should have received credit as co-writers. A pleasant enough sequel, but I don't think I'll pay to see Marigold Hotel 3.… Expand
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6
actorlover1Jul 13, 2015
I was disappointed having looked forward to the second film. The first was so sensitive dealing with the ageing occupants of the hotel and their individual circumstances. The second mainly used the talents of these superb actors to back up aI was disappointed having looked forward to the second film. The first was so sensitive dealing with the ageing occupants of the hotel and their individual circumstances. The second mainly used the talents of these superb actors to back up a ludicrous relationship between the lunatic owner and his girlfriend - with bits of bollywood thrown in. I would not recommend it.… Expand
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