DO YOU remember when you used to go on holidays as a child and everything was huge and wonderful?
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Then you would go back a few years later and part of the vacation spot’s magic had dripped away.
That’s how I feel about The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The first film, which came out four years ago, had a lot of wonder about it. It had a great group of people attached to it and it was so charming that you wanted your own exotic piece of the world.
Parts of that exoticism still shine in this sequel but that are too few and far between.
When we meet up again with enthusiastic-but-inexperience hotelier Sunny Kapoor (Dev Patel), he and British stalwart Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith) are meeting with American investors to turn Jaipur's Best Exotic Marigold Hotel into a franchise.
The hotel is regularly full and still has its small group of permanent residents who have found new life and love as well as new careers in India.
It is charming to see some of Britain’s best actors sharing the screen again and clearly enjoying themselves on the sub-continent but the plot lines draped through the film are somewhat predictable.
Misunderstandings and love triangles are coupled with will they won’t they story lines that all come to neat but unsurprising resolutions.
Dev Patel returns as the fast talking, eager and entertaining Sunny.
Patel’s performance is good as he drifts between his over-welcoming and poetic but awkwardly phrased compliments and a man who is so caught up in his business that neglects his impending bride to be.
Maggie Smith and Judi Dench have some strong and entertaining scenes together and the pair lead the ensemble that also includes Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup, Diana Hardcastle and Penelope Wilton.
Richard Gere and Tamsin Greig are the newest visitors to the hotel.
There are also some great performances from some Indian-based actors including Rajesh Tailang as a wise chauffeur and Avijit Dutt as a savvy fabric merchant.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will please and entertain its target demographic but as a stand alone feature it is slightly stale, about 20 minutes too long and has less magic and charm than its predecessor.
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (M) is now showing at Bendigo Cinemas. See page 3 of the Bendigo Advertiser for session details.
Follow film reviewer Chris Pedler on Twitter @FilmNerdChris
