“The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” hits on important themes in an entertaining way. One of the themes is a play on the old adage, “There’s no time like the present.” The words are reversed by a character into, “There is no present like time.” And for the many senior citizens who abide in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, that adage is especially important as time is indeed a present. Sonny (Dev Patel) manages the place and works closely with the elderly Mrs. Donnelly (Maggie Smith), who not only teaches him business strategies but genuinely cares about him. Sonny comes up with sayings such as, “No one is checking out until the ultimate check-out.” Sonny is engaged to Sunaina (Tina Desai) but sees a man named Kushal (Shazad Latif) as a rival, although Sunaina only sees him as a friend. When Kushal makes a deal on a hotel that Sonny had hoped to buy, his behavior becomes hard for those around him to tolerate.
Other scenarios feature Douglas (Bill Nighy) and Evelyn (Judi Dench), who have feelings for each other, but Evelyn is afraid to go forward in the relationship and become romantic. When Guy Chambers (Richard Gere) shows up, Sonny is certain he has come to rate his hotel. However, things take an unexpected twist when Guy falls for Sonny’s mother (Lillete Dubey). Other situations involve a woman who is having an affair because she thinks her husband is having one, but he’s not. They do, happily, make amends by the conclusion. The movie is about enjoying the gift of time and taking chances. And a second exotic hotel becomes a reality.
Although this film is an amusing comedic adventure to the exotic land of India, the content features strong language and we are therefore unable to award the movie our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.
