THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL  2.5***

 

      The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is truth in advertising; It is second best. Compared to the first and BEST,  this film lacks the spark of originality and joy of the 1^st.. The film follows the usual Hollywood tried-and-true formula for sequels by bringing back its wonderful British cast of thespians and playing up the same colorful Indian locations and senior citizen problems. Nostalgia reigns foremost and although this sequel still entertains, what was once wry and am whimsical is now somewhat dry and dull.

 

Spun loosely around the concept of adding a second hotel, because the first is fully booked, the story shifts the main focus from the English residents to the Indian manager, his family, and the hotel's staff.  Dev Patel steps up with an exuberant performance as Sonny Kapoor, the eager, if slightly daft, hotel manager (though at times in the 1^st half of the film Patel goes over the top and becomes irritating). Sonny juggles preparations for his wedding, sparring with a perceived rival for his fiancée, and seeking financial backing for a second hotel, while still checking each morning with a roll call to make sure  none of the aging lodgers has expired during the night.  

The film still amuses, mostly due to the likable characters from the 1^st movie who are now living at the hotel.( Maggie Smith, Judy Dench, Penelope Wilton. Bill Nighy and Ronald Pickup).  Enter some new characters including David Strathairn, the CEO of the company that may make the loan for the 2^nd hotel and Richard Gere, a possible hotel inspector and  love interest for Sonny's mother, Mrs. Kapoor .

 

There is not much new to recommend except an excellent cast( which by itself is enough to make the film worthwhile), and a concluding Bollywood dance number that has plenty of energy and style.  I left The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel this time feeling that the accommodations were less than stellar and that the time spent there was far from memorable.

 

Clark