THE SECOND BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (2015) – My rating: 7.5/10

I love the characters, especially Maggie Smith and Judi Dench.  However, The Second Best Marigold Hotel was just so so.  Some of the details sort of got away from me but I’m sure it was oversight on my part.  Since it’s on the big screen, you don’t get to push the rewind button or pause.  Having said that, I thought it was a very nice, clever story.  The addition of Richard Gere was brilliant, as he is very, very pleasing to the eye.  The old crew (Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton, Ronald Pickup, Diana Hardcastle, Tena Desae, Dev Patel, Lillete Dubey) returned to film this sequel and follow up on the current events of the hotel.  Because of the large cast, there’s a lot going on, making the plot and chain of events lengthy.  The focus of this sequel is the wedding between Sonny and Sunaina, the purchase of a second hotel, straightening out some misguided accusations and closure for many of the couples (good and bad).  There are so many individual stories, which required much concentration.  By the end, I was able to piece everything together.  I was saddened by some of the outcomes but found overall, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel to be entertaining and well acted.  If you’re looking for action, this movie is not for you.