Hands up everyone who fears that the sequel to a brilliant movie can only be a bit of a let-down?
You can all safely put your hands down.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is every bit as smashing as the first film. Lovely, lovely film, which had us laughing out loud – all of us in our Delhi cinema last week. Trouble was, we all laughed a wee bit too early, thanks to the subtitles, which inevitably ruined the timing of some of the lines. Why DT Star Cinemas (in Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj) feels the need to subtitle the film baffles me.
If anyone can teach me how not to read a subtitle, please do.
Anyway, other than that – which is nothing to do with the movie, I accept – Second Best was a lovely happy film. Well, the end…no, don’t worry, I am not going to spoil anything for you.
The stellar cast is even more stellar than usual, with Dame Maggie Smith having some utterly fabulous lines. I love the dynamics of the relationship between her character, and that of the irrepressible Sonny (Dev Patel).
Dame Judi Dench, the gorgeous Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, and of course, the super gorgeous Richard Gere, all turn in fabulous performances.
There is absolutely nothing not to love about this film, from the rickshaw chases through Jaipur, to the brilliant Bollywood dancing – Dev Patel, take a bow. What a fab dancer.
Hey, just watch the film and enjoy.
And – other than this review, obviously! – ignore all those boring PC reviews that talk about the film being an idealised Westerner’s view of India blah blah, bore bore.
I was the only foreigner in a full house watching the movie, and all my fellow movie-goers, every one of them Indian, laughed their heads off. Lots of them were youngsters, too, so ignore reviews telling you this film is targeted at the over 60s.
I tell you, some critics (not me, obviously) are just downright curmudgeonly and feel they have to make a moral point about everything.
This is lovely, funny film, showing India in a fab light, and so let’s please not get all preach-y.
Just go and enjoy it.