Senior Class

[2]Don’t get me wrong.  I like those big, blockbuster summer movies, full of action and adventure and noise.

But I also like those smaller, quieter movies that focus on personal stories.  Movies that take the characters to a place where they learn more about themselves.  Their strengths and weaknesses become more clear.  And that is why I absolutely love The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  

I went to see it this past weekend.  And as I left the theater, I realized that I wanted to turn right around and see it again.  Based on the novel [3] by Deborah Moggach [4], it is the story of a group of British retirees, seemingly past their prime.  When they move to India, however, they discover that second chances and new beginnings are possible at any time in life.  They only have to be open to them.

The film stars some of the best of British acting.  Actors and actresses who prove that talent and screen presence aren’t reserved just for the younger crowd.  Of course, their careers include outstanding work before The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  I’ve listed just a few of their credits below.
 

• Judi Dench [5]– James Bond films; As Time Goes By; Shakespeare in Love
   
• Celia Imrie [6]– Calendar Girls; Nanny McPhee; Return to Cranford
   
• Bill Nighy [7]– Love Actually; The Girl in the Café; Wild Target
   
• Ronald Pickup [8] – Behaving Badly; Fortunes of War; The Mission
   
• Maggie Smith [9] – Harry Potter films; Downton Abbey; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
   
• Tom Wilkinson [10]– In the Bedroom; The Kennedys; The Conspirator
   
• Penelope Wilton [11]– Downton Abbey; Calendar Girls; Iris
   

I did concentrate on the cast of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, but you probably have some favorites from the British senior class that aren’t listed.  Let me know who you’d include.  And in a future blog, I’ll cover some of the best from the American senior class.