“In Spanish, viejo means “”old”” (as both an adjective or a noun). If you modify it to viejitos, you’re saying “”little old people””. It usually has a cute connotation, and is kind of like a term of endearment. I can’t help but smile when I hear the word. The first Best Exotic Marigold Hotel brought me such joy when I saw it, there was no question I wanted to see the sequel to revisit those cute little old people, or viejitos, I loved so much.
In the first film, our elderly troop find themselves in India for a variety of reasons. They end up staying at a hotel run by a good hearted and well meaning if utterly clueless young proprietor, Sonny (Dev Patel). Over the course of the film, they come to think of this hotel as home. Now for the sequel, they find it to be so home-y that none of them ever check out. Sonny has plans to expand into a second location, but of course, there’s a variety of obstacles in his way, including the stress of his upcoming wedding and a suprise hotel inspector that may drop in at any moment. There’s also various side plots involving the rest of the ensemble, but that’s the storyline that connects everything.
Once again, I loved it. I was all smiles and chuckles throughout. There’s this refreshing honesty to it, with its morbid jokes about the impending death of the hotel guests (case in point: the running joke of Sonny taking a role call every morning to ensure no one has “”checked out”” during the night). It doesn’t tiptoe around anything, rather it fearlessly confronts simple facts of life. And it’s also really funny how those jokes are often at the end of an otherwise sweet sentiment. The juxtaposition catches you off guarded, landing the joke with more impact.
Truth be told, some parts of the story were very thin, and some accents were very thick. But at its heart, the movie is ultimately about showcasing this wonderful group of veteran actors (including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, and Bill Nighy), and appreciating them for who they are. It didn’t really matter that stories weren’t fleshed out, or some dialog was tough to understand. It all contributed to the overall charm of this darling film.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n”