The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Total Film by

The pleasure of seeing a supergroup of Brit-veterans soon withers in an OAP comedy that plumps for light laughs over deeper insights.

Empire by Anna Smith

Charming, delightful and amusing - just what you'd expect from the star-studded cast of veterans.

The New Yorker by David Denby

Judi Dench is especially good; playing a vulnerable character, for a change, she allows her habitual toughness to give way to uncertainty, fear, and moments of gathering resolve, and she delivers one of her most wide-ranging and moving performances. [7 May 2012, p. 81]

Time Out by Keith Uhlich

Madden pads the film with shimmering images of Jaipur and its surroundings; a midmovie funeral sequence - 'cause somebody's got to kick the bucket! - even manages to be somewhat evocative and moving. The rest makes you long for senility to set in, but quick.

Variety by Leslie Felperin

The powerhouse cast is so capable, the actors just about manage to play the picture as if it were a "Midsummer Night's Dream"-style frothy farce, with marigold garlands and picturesque poverty.

Village Voice by Nick Pinkerton

The plot twists are about as venerable as the cast and predictably affecting when performed with such old-hand proficiency.

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

It is oddly like an Agatha Christie thriller with all the pasteboard characters, 2D backstories and foreign locale, but no murder.

Tampa Bay Times by Steve Persall

Director John Madden and an ensemble of polished actors in their second primes make this a constant amusement and a nice alternative at the movies.