A Review by Brenda Daniels
On Friday 13 March my mother-in-law and I attended the launch of Cinema Nouveau’s new snack menu. My partner (mom-in-law Ray) got to nibble on the eats before taking them in with us to watch The Second Best Marigold Hotel. The new offerings included wine by the bottle or in a take-away glass (with a take-off lid) and craft beer, which most of the men seemed to go for. A small cheese platter accompanied the wine, and a packet of sealed biltong, the beer. Both the cheese and the biltong were good quality and far more satisfying than popcorn.
Unlike some sequels, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel isn’t “second” in quality to the first. Good humour and some light hearted moments make for an enjoyable follow on to the first.
In this film young proprietor Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) expands his hotel business, gets married and continues to forge a loving relationship with his elderly business partner the dour Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith). Love problems, job opportunities, approaching death as well as new leases on life are all experienced by the senior citizens ensconced at the hotel.
Standouts include Bill Nighy who shows a particular talent for talking nonsense and Dev Patel, a very likeable young man. Richard Gere even makes an appearance, swanning in in typically romantic style. My mom-in-law laughed heartily throughout.
Dev Patel plays the young hotel manager of the hotel for the elderly in India. Photo: Creative Commons.
a feast of tales 