No exotic deal

Ervell E. Menezes

Sequels are rarely better than the parent film. The only exception, as far as I can remember, is Godfather II, but The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is probably the worst of all sequels. It’s like flogging a long dead hotel!

The parent film was good because of the original idea; that of British retirees visiting India where their currency goes much further. That director Richard Madden goes to the same old actors makes it easier, but not better,

When hotel owner Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) starts throwing up lines like “this is our moment of destiny” it seems promising, but only momentarily. The star of Slumdog Millionaire then overdoes it. Actually the first half is just rambling. That Sonny is engaged to cute Sunaina (Tina Desai) is all that one gathers before the intermission. The second half is the opposite…the oldies are on a wooing spree. Guy (Richard Gere) is a hotel inspector in disguise who takes time out to woo Mrs Kapoor (Lillete Dubey). Scriptwriter Ol Parker seems to have a field day with witty lines, which, however, tends to keep the action stationery. And director John Madden is unable to establish rapport with the audience as the minor players keep running riot. Also the film could safely have been reduced by a third (of its 122 minutes). Judi Dench and Maggie Smith just go through the motions and our own Lillete Dubey and Tina Desai are much better, but they too are not reason enough to suffer through this disaster.