The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

The scene opens with various and sundry people figuring out that their golden years in Britain are not all that sunny.  The economy is in the tank, the health care system is sending out surgey to India, and what are supposed to be the 'Golden Years' are vastly under-funded and they are not in good humor about it.  So what to do?  The solution is to take their pounds to a country where they will fare better, or at least stretch further.  One of the crowd is a gay man seeklng forgiveness from a lover, and one is getting an operation but the others have primarily financial motivations that many of us can relate to.

So off they go to what in the broshure looks like Paradise, and when their  bags are packed with pride, prejudice, problems and prospects by some of Britain's best actors — including Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson and Maggie Smith — it makes the trip (and the movie) worth taking. Complementing all that aging grace is Dev Patel, the breakout star of"Slumdog Millionaire," as the irrepressible young owner of the Marigold. Aptly named Sonny, he is trying ever so hard to gloss over any rough patches — at the hotel and in his life or his guests'. It all makes for a movie whose infectious charm outweighs some of the predictability that slips in around the edges.  I just loved how the whole story unfolds--it is good clean fun throughout.  Highly recommneded, especially if you are at or nearing middle age.