The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

"Why die here, when you could die there!"

John Madden's 2012 film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel proved to be a funny, surprisingly honest look at the foils of old age, with a strong cast of veteran British actors, and now the sequel, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has come along with a continuation of the story.

After the success of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Sonny (Dev Patel) looks to expand with a second. Muriel (Maggie Smith) accompanies him to a meeting that could help him secure funding for the new premises, and they agree that she'll do the talking. Back at the hotel, Evelyn (Judi Dench) is considering a career opportunity, whilst Douglas (Bill Nighy) continues his attempts to woo her. After a late night out, Norman (Ronald Pickup) runs into some trouble when he thinks that he's accidentally put a hit out on his girlfriend Carol (Diana Hardcastle), and the hotel welcomes two new guests, Lavinia (Tamsin Grieg) and the mysterious Guy Chambers (Richard Gere).

Though not all goes to plan. Whilst Sonny is juggling the potential new deal, his upcoming wedding and the possibility that Guy is an inspector, an old acquaintance Kushal (Shazard Latif) purchases the new hotel. Then Douglas' ex, the insufferable Jean (Penelope Wilton) arrives.

The writing in the first film was better than this second outing, and whilst its numerous twisting narratives, love-triangles and vast array of Marigold residents are all entertaining, it's missing the volume of humour that was so delightful in the first. The additional characters are well-rounded, and I'm sure that those who find Richard Gere charming will enjoy him here, but they don't really bring anything new to the plot that wasn't already there, grappling with old age, the apparently relaxing, party nature of the Indian lifestyle, etc. What's entertaining with Second Best is seeing the original residents continue on their paths. It's a shame that Tom Wilkinson's character, Graham Dashwood was written out at the end of the first, as he was one of the more interesting members of the ensemble, but there's still plenty of talent, with legends Judi Dench and Maggie Smith the clear favourites, especially when they're squabbling at each other on-screen.

Much like the original, and another recent ensemble piece, Pride, also starring Bill Nighy, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel finds its bearings with an incredibly strong cast and believable characters. Smith continues her role as the straight-to-the-point Muriel, whose dry sense of wit is the source of most of the jokes, with Patel's ambitious, yet pig-headed Sonny a close second. The relationship between Dench and Nighy's shy characters is, although clichéd, the most compelling part of the script, with Madge's love-triangle surprisingly dull. Penelope Wilton succeeds admirably at bringing back the unbelievably annoying Madge, and it was also nice to see Tamsin Greig (Fran from Black Books) in a more substantial film role. 

There's definitely a cinematic advantage to setting a film in India. With some astounding architecture, scenic views and a multitude of vast colours, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is just as vivid as the first, if not more. The cinematography is complimented by the colourful set design, culminating is an extravagant, if not totally over the top final act. Even if you were somehow bored with the characters, the visuals would get you through to the end.

The original film was a light-hearted but charming comedy that, whilst focused on an older audience, was broad enough in subject matter to be enjoyable for most ages. For the most-part, the same can be said for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It doesn't trump the first film, but with such a strong cast, it's still good fun.

What We Did on Our Holiday

Just like it's cousin, the British comedy series Outnumbered, What we Did on Our Holiday presents a dysfunctional family with hilarious, quirky kids, a strong British cast and plenty of comedy along the way. As the feature-length debut for directors Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, this is a strong start.

Doug (David Tennant) and Abi (Rosamund Pike) McLeod are going through a rough period in their marriage, with a divorce likely immanent. To make things worse they have three difficult kids, the aspiring geologist - and five-year-old - Jess (Harriet Turnbull), the viking-obsessed Mickey (Bobby Smalldridge) and the honest Lottie (Emilia Jones), but they at least seem to understand the situation. However, when the family are to visit Doug's father, Gordie (Billy Connolly) for his 75th birthday in the Scottish Highlands, Doug and Abi want to ensure that Gordie, who is dying of cancer, isn't left to worry about their issues.

When they finally arrive, they are reluctantly greeted by Doug's brother Gavin (Ben Miller), a rich short seller, who has kitted out the house with an expensive automated system. Gavin is meticulously organising the large birthday celebrations with his wife Margaret (Amelia Bullmore). Whilst many tense disputes break out between the brothers, Gordie turns to his grandchildren to take them to the beach, hoping to show them that none of the arguments really matter, and that life is short and should be enjoyed.

As a big fan of Outnumbered I was hoping for a similar plot-setup, and Hamilton & Jenkin certainly borrow from their television roots, but they manage to do so without blatantly rehashing past material. Whilst the three kids have similar traits to their tv counterparts, they come off as distinct individuals, mainly due to the fantastic performances from the trio. The comedic style of What we Did on Our Holiday is inherently clean (surprising for a film starring Billy Connolly), more-so than most family movies, but the back-and-forth between adults and the kids never fails to amuse. When turning to the dramatic elements of the plot, I felt that some of the scenes were a little over done and somewhat cheesy, but they're countered by just as many moments that manage to be quite touching. There's an underlying motif of time and making the most of life, that was at some stages, too blatantly pushed down the audience's throats, yet it contributes to the film's positive ending message.

Most of the dramatic sequences are given to Connolly, who manages them ok, but sometimes by the skin of his teeth. This is certainly not up there with his performances in films like Mrs Brown and A Series of Unfortunate Events, but generally he manages to give an all-rounded display here. Although I couldn't help but think that he could have flourished a bit more if he had some of his favourite non-PG phrases to back him up. It seems unusual to see Rosamund Pike in a light-hearted family movie so soon after her chilling portrayal in Gone Girl, but she's fantastic as usual. Tennant and Miller work well off each other as the quibbling immature adult siblings and Amelia Bullmore provides a surprisingly layered performance. Annette Crosbie was by far my favourite though, bringing the same sturdy and often fiery displays that she made as Margaret Meldrew (One Foot in the Grave) to Doreen.

What We Did on Our Holiday is not going to win any Academy Awards, but with all the recent releases, it's nice to be able to relax with a good light-hearted and undoubtedly funny family film. With great performances and strong characters, it's a sweet movie and great for a lazy afternoon.