The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

The cast is back with a few new faces and the Indian vibe is ready to take hype in the new installment titled The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which is set to hit US theaters tomorrow.

There are frowners and there are cheerers. When it comes to the release of ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’, we have people who are looking forward to watching the next installment of the movie they absolutely loved where there are also those whose expectations have been dampened by the story or the pattern of the movie. 

The original cast is returning to the movie including Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie and Dev Patel. The gang is up once more to return to the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the next. 

Yes, Sonny Kapoor, the hotel’s overzealous owner and manager takes the help of Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) much to his mother’s (Lillete Dubey) dismay. They duo travel to America to ask for financial backing to open another hotel and the hospitality chain agrees but in one condition…the property will be analyzed by their expert before the company makes any decision.

Thus the identity confusion starts when an Englishwoman Lavinia is denied a room which is then given to the American ‘novelist’ played by Richard Gere. Gere provides great eye candy especially for Madge who finds her innards quivering at the sight of him. 

The quest is set as the older guests return to embark on Sonny’s and Muriel’s journey to open the new branch of the hotel along with attending Sonny’s wedding with his love Sunaina played by Tina Desai. 

The romantic quirks are also blossoming as Dev fights for Sunaina’s heart against a rival, Evelyn and Douglas still look cute as ever in a courteous longing for each other the Evelyn calls as ‘not really seeing each other’. Norman and Carol are also taking their monogamous relationship up a notch by making it public and Sonny pushes his own mother (Dubey) on Gere’s character but we only get to see the brief starry eyed gazes they pass each other during Dubey’s sharp tongued retorts and Mr. Gere looking handsome as his usual self. 

The movie is hyped with the Indian charm and color especially with a wedding thrown in. It is a treat for all of those who head to the cinema to be dazzled by a fairytale like story. For the people who are trying to find more meaning than the amount they found in the first part seem to just like the second part.

One thing both type of viewers agree on is that this should be the last movie and no further attempt should be made to extend the story and destroy its essence in the process. The eight month period that the second movie has jumped is still acceptable with a cast that all looks near to dying. The actors still delivered dignified and lovable performances. Any further time passing will cause the characters to become hollow and weak disabling the story’s charm and wit.