The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)

Film: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2012)
Stars: Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilton, Maggie Smith, Ronald Pickup, Celia Imrie, Dev Patel
Director: John Madden
Oscar History: None (though it received two Golden Globe nods for Best Picture and Dench)
Snap Judgment Ranking: 3/5 stars

Getting a bunch of classically-trained British actors into the same picture and throwing them into an awkward, laugh-inducing film has to be one of the most tried-and-true ways for Independent features to make money.  For the art house set, is there any better Box Office Gold than Judi Dench or Maggie Smith?  In fact, while I am loathe to put them into the same sentence as that complete publicity hound Andy Cohen, I could see a solid mash-up between the two for television.  Anyone else think that putting Dench, Smith, Miriam Margoyles, Eileen Atkins, Helen Mirren, and Joan Plowright into the The Real Housewives of the Royal Shakespeare Company would be a huge, huge hit?

But I digress, and must confess, it wasn't until Sunday that I finally got around to one of the biggest "surprise" hits of the year, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  The film, for those unfamiliar (and I suspect if you're reading this blog regularly, this is a film that you've already enjoyed), it's a movie about a group of seven aging British men and women, who, whether through a search for love, a search for health, or a search for a cheap place to live, find themselves living in a rundown hotel in India.

The movie then follows as the characters slowly reach the same conclusion-that you can always have new experiences in life, and it's only over when it's over.  It's hard to pick a favorite story line, though I'd probably settle for Wilkinson's, which was the most interesting, or Smith's, which had the most Maggie Smith and is therefore bound to be everyone's favorite.  Wilkinson's character (spoiler alert) is gay, and spends much of the movie searching out a love he had many years ago in India, and it's the story that you kind of wish was in a separate movie, as you can never have enough "brief affair, spend the rest of your life pining for a love" sort of movies.  Wilkinson, an actor of immeasurable talents, doesn't quite put all of his considerable skills into this role, but he's quite fine when he wants to be, and he totally sells the inevitable reunion moment.

This is the same for Dench and Smith, neither of whom share enough screen time together, but both of whom deliver that patented level of performance that they are well-known for.  Dench, solid and strong-willed, manages to use her soulful eyes and still beautifully structured face to great effect as she charms everyone that meets her-it's hard to believe that she was a quiet, doormat at the beginning of the movie, as she's so skilled with people throughout the film.  Smith, of course, is a biting old British woman (isn't she always?), and gets all of the film's best lines, and though you know the character trajectory about ten seconds into her first scene, that doesn't stop it from still being a fun ride-Smith has a rare talent for comedy, and it's on full display here.  Both of these women could land nominations at the Globes, though I think a trip to the Kodak (or whatever it's being called these days-should check that at some point) seems a stretch for a film as souffle-light as this film.

All-in-all, this is a great film to watch on a Sunday afternoon, with some tea and scones in hand, and to have a marvelous time with friends, but don't go in hoping for one of the best films of the year, as this doesn't quite have the gravitas or the breath to meet those expectations.

What about you-did you enjoy Best Exotic?  Are you more Team Judi or Team Maggie or Team "Don't-Make-Me-Decide-Such-Things?"  And what, if any, Oscar chances do you think the film has?