Effie's Blog

What kind of life would you like to have after retiring from work?

Would you consider living in a foreign country and indulging yourself in an exotic atmosphere?

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is just the sort of movie discussing the second opportunity in life, a journey to discover yourself and an unknown adventure in a foreign country!

Seven British senior citizens, each facing their own problem in the homeland, attracted by the beautifully printed brochure of a hotel located in India. They packed up their lifelong memories and took off to a country hundred of miles away with the hope for a better life.  

Being shocked basically from the moment they stepped off from the airplane, the grand and fancy hotel they would have expected to see turned out to be a shaky building occupied by birds in some of the rooms. The seven old folks had to start all over again to deal with a new environment, new tastes, and new culture whether they like it or not. 

Compared with the seven British guys' frustration to this hotel, the owner, Sonny, an Indian native fully living up to his name, was always optimistic toward the development of his business.  However, Sonny's mom, not as confident with the hotel, wanted him to return to Delhi and marry "the ideal bride" she meticulously selected for him. 

With every day gone by, the audience along with those seemingly unlikable characters learned to appreciate the beauty of this country. There were too many new things they hadn't imagined on this land, so as their own hearts, still many parts left for themselves to discover. This strange place brought out a new self that they had no chance to see and taught them to see something they had never seen before.

Graham found his gay lover he met when he was eighteen only to know that he caged himself for half his life in bitter regret. After setting himself free, he died of a heart attack in the hotel peacefully. Evelyn getting her very first job in life in a bid to support herself was by chance healing from the loss of her husband. Douglas and Jean, married for 39 years, came to know that they were better off without each other. Muriel, a racist and grumpy ex-housekeeper, accidentally bridged the strict social divide and changed her views towards India. She winded up saving Sonny's business and got him investment to renovate the hotel. Norman and Madge, longing for romances in the second half of life, both seeked out the other half under exotic circumstances. Sonny's mom, fighting against her parents about her marriage as well, finally approve of Sonny's relationships with Sunaina. 

Nevertheless, this movie provides more than a happy ending. Each character has their own story; as they confide in their fellow residents, they open up themselves bit by bit to each other and to the foreign country. I found myself able to resonate with those characters without any effort. Taking the journey with the seven of them, I saw India--a versatile, colorful and vibrant country--from their perspectives. It felt like I was also packed in the tuk-tuk with them and smelling the same air full of sweat, car emissions and different flavors of spices. As their ties with India grew stronger and stronger, I grew more and more fond of those characters. This movie left me not only feeling the warmth of people's interactions but the inspiration of trying something new, fullfilling your deepest wishes and giving yourself a second chance even though you are no longer young. Age has never posed a challenge for us; it is our attitude that hinders ourselves from taking another step. Last but not least, let's learn from the spirit of Sonny, as he said, "Everything will be all right in the end. If it's not all right, then it's not the end."