Last night my husband and I went to the movies. We saw The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Not sure if we would like it, we nonetheless dove into our popcorn and waited for the lights to dim. I am so glad we went. This movie is a priceless jewel of a film.
I am not sure if this movie can be appreciated by young people. Age forty and up will benefit from it, though. I would think some deeper thinking below forties would also enjoy it. The premise is that several retired people (who don't know each other) decide to retire at a beautiful hotel in India, for various reasons. The brochure paints it as luxurious and pampering.
However, when they get there, it is anything but. The young owner has dreams for it and hastens to assure them that things will be improving daily. They all stay. Each of them are disappointed, but it is not the biggest disappointment in any of their lives. Those previous disappointments have shaped them into the people they are today. Some bitter, some hopeful. Some looking for happiness, some living in the past. Some ready to embrace new ideas, some unwilling to let go of long held prejudices.
It is not supposed to be a sad movie. It is uplifting and enlightening. Nevertheless, I had tears running down my face halfway through it. Puzzled, Dave asked me what was so sad. I simply shook my head and whispered, "Nothing."
This movie touched me and made me a more appreciative person. Ah, the beauty of life in all of its lessons, disappointments, and pleasures. Where else but India, in all of its awful glory could this story be better told? The country is filthy but full of bright color, noisy but full of life, poverty stricken but full of smiles. It is stunningly wonderful and hopelessly terrible. Just like life.
If life wasn't that way, we would be much smaller people for it. Just go see the movie. You won't regret that you did.
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