Mr. Antonini, who lived in the house next to ours in Brooklyn, had a rejoinder for all life's ailments. "You think you got problems?" he'd say with a querulous edge to his voice. "Wait till you get to my age, and I'll show you some problems!" At this point Mr. Antonini's son Denny would make his standard quip: "We ain't there yet papa, for crying out loud."
This little exchange came back to me in a Proustian rush, as it describes "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" in a nutshell. The movie itself is a neat little piece of craftsmanship by John Madden ("Shakespeare in Love"), and assembles the iconic greats of the British acting world in a hotel in Jaipur.
"The Bext Exotic Marigold Hotel" is a coming-of-(old)-age story for a seasoned, mature audience. Madden seems well aware that this particular demographic is the most discerning of moviegoers, demanding of quality entertainment. After all, they're the only people who seem interested anymore in getting themselves to a theater followed by a trip to some cozy bar for postviewing discussion, while the young and vigorous stay home for total SNS immersion and watch films online.