The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

At The Cinema                            The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel   SCROLL Watched a very engaging movie this morning:  The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel    Quite charming, actually.  Typical British humor, tho, so you have to pay attention because you don't get any overt clues to a laugh line, and you'll miss some good ones if you're distracted.  Much of the best humor comes through sarcasm, as it often does, but considering the stage and film experience of the cast, that sort of clipped, sophisticated snark fits perfectly.  Maggie Smith is, of course, a past master at that sort of thing and demonstrates the best metamorphosis of the lot, all of whom undergo transformations of some sort.  The kid who plays the manager is perfect. Dozens of standard cliches and stereotypes are dealt with very matter-of-factly and almost slip by unnoticed.  And since I watched it on my iMac with the big screen, the realism was in-my-face stark.  Stark snark. I'm sure this type of bildungsroman for the aged has been done before, and they're all bittersweet and tender, I imagine.  This one strides boldly up and just gob-smacks self-pity and maudlin sentiment and all that stuff right in the kisser. If you can download it or borrow it on disc, give it a look when you have some time and some soft snacks.  Not crunchy stuff, tho, 'cause it'll cause you to miss some of those classic lines and you'd have to go back and watch it again to pick up on 'em.  Don't think I'd want to watch it again until it's grown dim in my memory.  [Metzger] I will be watching this later ... (If you hate it, blame Metzger) ”