The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Every few years, Hollywood cranks out a marginal film featuring silver screen veterans dealing with old age in unique and supposedly funny ways. Whether it’s a last ditch effort to feel young, a journey to fulfill unfinished business, or a team of old pros called back into action, the results are usually shaky at best. Maybe it’s because The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was made outside of the Hollywood system that it defies the odds.

After reviewing their options, several retired Brits take a major risk and move to India to stretch their retirement dollars. Evelyn (Judi Dench) is broke thanks to her dead husband’s debts, while Jean (Penelope Wilton) and Douglas (Bill Nighy) are scraping by after investing in their daughter's stagnant web start-up. Graham (Tom Wilkinson) is looking for an old flame, while Madge (Celia Imrie) is on the prowl for a new flame. Norman (Ronald Pickup) is trying to cling to whatever youth he has left, while Muriel (Maggie Smith) needs a hip replacement on the cheap. Upon arriving at the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, everyone is dismayed to find the place is the opposite of the pictures on the website. As the hotel manager, Sonny (Dev Patel), struggles to keep the place from falling apart, the seven guests band together to help each other out on many different levels.

Far from being a charming tale for the geriatric demographic alone, this film has the potential to play well to most age brackets. It’s not for the youngest of viewers but anyone with an adult level of maturity can find something to enjoy here. The characters may be somewhat formulaic but the filmmakers put enough refreshing twists on type to keep you emotionally invested and genuinely curious to see how each of these seven retirees adjust to their new surroundings.

Maybe it’s the pedigree of the cast or maybe British actors are just a better breed of talent in general, but all the principals do a wonderful job of making their characters feel real. Whether it’s portraying the fear and anxiety of new and intimidating surroundings or the general vulnerability that comes with aging physically and emotionally, the cast is remarkably spot-on. This makes for several powerful moments and also for a few humorous moments that you don’t see coming.

On the surface, Dev Patel’s hilarious character does feel like an obvious ploy to appeal to young adults and thirtysomethings who might not otherwise be interested in a film about old people. Patel is more than just a throwaway to the younger set though. His youth and inexperience contrast against his tenants and open up the door to both sides learning from each other. Some of these lessons are more predictable than others but they’re not executed poorly.

Cynics may consider this film a kind of Breakfast Club for the retirement home crowd but take heart in knowing that cynics are usually little more than an extremely vocal minority. There is no shame in liking this film, regardless of your age. Years of Hollywood beating these kind of ensemble dramas (from coming-of-age teen flicks to gray-haired adventures) has trained us to brace ourselves for inevitable disappointment. It may not live up to its name 100% but The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel houses very little, if anything, to be disappointed about.

RATING: 3.75 out of 5

Calendar Girls (2003)

Seeing really is believing. Prior to this film I would have doubted very much that a story about older women stripping down could be something enjoyable. Sure enough, Helen Mirren leads a pack of seasoned British actresses to success in a risqué tale with a lot of heart.

After her husband dies of leukemia, Annie Clarke (Julie Walters) receives an outpouring of support from her friends. After spending many a day sitting in the hospital waiting room, Annie decides she wants to raise money to donate a more comfortable sofa to the hospital. Her friends in the social organization Women’s Institute come up with the idea of selling a calendar to raise funds for the donation. Annie’s bold friend Chris Harper (Mirren) sees the need to make the calendar something more exciting than the standard WI fundraiser. Her proposition is to have some of their club members strip down for tasteful, discreet nude pictures while engaged in typical WI activities.

Chris and Annie have a hard time convincing their friends to take part in what seems like a lewd gimmick and an even harder time convincing the WI organization to approve of their controversial fundraiser. Once it becomes a hit, the bonds of friendship are tested as Chris takes center stage in publicizing the calendar. Annie believes she has lost sight of their original mission in awe of her newfound celebrity status.

Even if you’re not a part of the film’s target demographic (I know I sure wasn’t), good comedy almost always prevails. Calendar Girls possesses a lot of witty but dry British humor but it doesn’t over-Brit the comedy. American audiences will be able to snicker, giggle and laugh at all the right moments. Older viewers may find more humor in the subtleties of post-middle age life but the film does its best to stay fresh and accessible to everyone.

Much like the ladies in the calendar, the film is not interested in being an explicit skin parade. Very little nudity is on display and occurs briefly while the women are getting into position for their tastefully risqué poses. While some ultra-prudes may object to even this minimal amount of nudity, a little exposure comes with the territory and it's carried out as tastefully as possible.

The film does get a little bogged down towards the end as Chris’s ego inflates and gets challenged but it would seem a little too conveniently perfect otherwise. This is a conundrum faced by most comedies these days. Do you go all out goofy, forsaking any possibility that the events of the film could actually occur and turn off cynics? Or, is it better to say ‘tough luck’ to the total escapism seekers and add that dose of reality in order to keep the film grounded? Calendar Girls makes the right decision and stays true to its ‘based on a true story’ roots and shows the bumpy road the girls face.

In the end, Calendar Girls will get a few laughs out of you. Just don’t expect it to last in your memory beyond being ‘the one where the old ladies make a nude calendar.’ So like Mirren’s character, even audiences will be hard pressed to remember the original purpose of the titular calendar. That’s not such a big deal though because that will be enough to remind you that it was a sweet and charming little movie.

RATING: 3.25 out of 5