Marigold Hotel is exactly what it appears to be in the preview; my expectations were almost perfectly met. It is a light and fluffy tale of old age in a exotic land, featuring multiple overlapping storylines (one for each retiree,) and lots of scenes of older people looking disoriented in the hustle-bustle of an Indian city. It features many fine British character actors playing highly formulaic but enjoyable roles. The humorous moments are for the most part in the preview.

I enjoyed watching Marigold Hotel, but I must say it really did not make one iota of effort to be anything more than it was destined to be. The writing is inoffensive and minimal. The themes are almost self-consciously inoffensive, bordering on saccharine. The music is exactly what you would expect it to be. Judy Dench is doing her Judy Dench thing. The Indian people in the film all quintessential Hollywood Indian people (clean, insanely articulate, and paragons of virtue and industriousness.) In this film, nothing surprises, nothing challenges, nothing deviates from the expectation set in the preview; it’s remarkable, in a way. It’s a nice little movie, and not a single bit more.

Tom Wilkinson is a truly marvelous actor, probably the best actor out there (in my opinion anyway.) He has very little to do in this film, yet he manages as he always does to make something out of nothing and turn in a lovely performance. It was also nice to see Bill Nighy playing a different sort of role (a shy but charming henpecked husband) than the usual over-the-top weirdo he usually plays. Maggie Smith breaks out of her type-casting a bit too.

It’s hard not to recommend this film. If you liked the preview, you’ll like the film; if you loved the preview, you’ll love the film!