DIRECTOR: Frank Darabont
STARRING: Tom Hanks, Michael Clarke Duncan, James Cromwell, Patricia Clarkson, Bonnie Hunt, David Morse, Barry Pepper, Sam Rockwell, Dabbs Greer,Graham Greene, Jeffrey DeMunn, Gary Sinise and Harry Dean Stanton
PLOT: Reflecting on his life as a death row officer, Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) and his crew spend their time overseeing the inmates on "the green mile" until one day large apparent child killer John Coffey (Duncan) is placed under their care, and changes their lives forever.
The second directorial/writing effort from Frank Darabont is another prison drama based on a work by Stephen King, but those expected another triumph of the human spirit/friendship story will be left wanting. What Darabont instead has crafted in a visual poem, a fairytale based on one of the more epic works by the King of Maine.
The story begins with the brilliant Dabbs Greer (in his final role) crying at the film Top Hat. We then move all the way back 1935 and to the death row block of the younger Paul Edgecomb (Hanks) and his subordinates, Brutal (Morse), Stanton (Pepper), Harry (DeMunn) and the malicious Wetmore (Doug Hutchison). Their days are slow and the film takes it's time to introduce the characters, and the inmates Bitterbuck (Greene), Del (Michael Jeter) and later Coffey (Duncan) and Wild Bill (Rockwell)
The allstar cast is rounded off by Bonnie Hunt as Hanks' wife, James Cromwell as the Warden, Patricia Clarkson as his wife and Gary Sinise as Edgecomb's doctor. With this many actors there might be the chance that some would be overlooked and yet the film's epic run time, it's leisurely pace and it's growing supernatural intent never once lets you think someone is there for star power, and everyone gets their moment to perform.
For Hanks it's his James Stewart-like everyman that he does so well. The film is his, and yet being the actor's actor he is, he never attempt to overact when someone else gets their moment. While Hanks is the pulling power, it's Academy Award Nominated Michael Clarke Duncan as John Coffey that makes the film. His gentle giant performance is a career best, and his manner and way of speaking is nothing if not devastatingly likable.
As for the other actors, Hunt and Cromwell lead the pack acting with ease, and Sinise in just one scene of the film, delivers a monologue about putting a dog down for biting his daughter with the message at the heart: it only takes once, leaves chills down the spine.
Thomas Newman's score is as good as it ever is, after the hopeful score of The Shawshank Redemption this time him and Darabont craft a tale that has a score so haunting, and so melodic that certain scenes become too much to bear without shedding tears. If the supernatural element puts people off then their fools, since the film is about faith, compassion and love more than it is about creepy magical goings on.
It might not be to everyone's taste, and it is a film of character and mood instead of action and plot, but it's a beautiful film, cementing Darabont as a brilliant talent.
DIRECTOR: John Madden
STARRING: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Celia Imrie, Ronald Pickup, Diana Hardcastle, Tina Desai, Lillette Dubey, Tamsin Greig, Penelope Wilton, David Strathairn and Richard Gere.
PLOT: As Sonny (Patel) tries to expand the over stuffed Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, the people who take residence there continue their goings on, as his engagement, draws to the inevitable marriage.
The least likely film to get a sequel ever, spawns the feel good film for Mother's Day. As the cream of British acting (and Richard Gere) show up for their own little romantic subplot. What it amounts to is Slumdog Millionaire meets Love, Actually. How wonderful then that what could have been a cash in clusterfuck and just more British lovies making sex jokes is actually a joyous celebration of life, love, and all the unfortunate moment in-between.
Front of the pack is Dev Patel playing the overly optimistic Sonny, who juggles trying to expand his hotel into a chain, wooing a hotel inspector and not getting jealous over his fiance, Sunaina. His blind optimism mixed with melancholic stubbornness makes Patel an absolute joy to watch, from his work on Skins through to his star making role as a certain millionaire slumdog, Patel has proven himself to be worth even penny. His scenes are always a joy, and he makes for an engaging romantic lead, calling to mind the early work of a Hugh Grant-type.
Maggie Smith is also utterly enjoyable as Muriel Donnelly, the grisly co-manager of the hotel. Playing a more friendly version of her character in the first film, she is none the less charming as the more grumpy of the oldies. Knowing the route these films takes, it often leads to a revelation of some profound sentimentality, it might then be to Smith's credit that it never feels forced or irksome.
While Ronald Pickup's Norman Cousins, and Diana Hardcastle's Carol Parr are a joy as the sexually active couple who both have their own little doubts about their relationship, and Celia Imrie's Madge Hardcastle is torn between two lovers - yet if you can't see the inevitable end, then you're not trying hard enough.
The film's biggest issue comes from the first film's biggest issue, the ongoing saga of Evelyn Greenslade and Douglas Ainslie as played by Judi Dench and Bill Nighy is somewhat dull, though the idea of turning the young romcom tropes on their head and playing them to older people is enjoyable to watch, Nighy and Dench are lumbered with will they won't they boredom. Made all the worse by the re-introduction of the brilliant Penelope Wilton's Jean Ainslie who serves as the antagonist of the film. If this subplot seems tired, then their scenes may grate but there is such joy in seeing three aging performers do something that would normally be the remit of unappealing young sex studs.
While all these cogs turn, and the forced plot about a hotel inspector is both obvious and inevitable, the most appealing rom com of the year plays out without anyone realising in the form of Richard Gere's Guy Chambers and Lillette Dubey's Mrs Kapoor. While Gere has always been effortlessly charming, and in this film he is no different Dubey's brilliant performance brings personality to the first film's overbearing mother. Gere's chasing of her without ever coming across as creepy or predatory, is the film's heart and goes hand-in-hand with Patel and Dusai's.
Small roles from Tamsin Grieg and David Strathairn do seem like throwing more famous people into roles, they class up the fun, and while the ending of the film calls out for a third, this film works brilliantly as it's own story, as well as a romcom sequel that is both romantic as it is funny. If this is to be chapter two of three chapters, and The (Third/Final) Best Exotic Marigold Hotel will be hitting cinemas in two or three years, then it'll be a ride I'd happily take again. The gentle pace, and lovely score by Thomas Newman never play India as the den of thieves that Slumdog did, instead paints it as a hot, different haven, where people who want a simpler life will thrive.
While not a perfect film, an interesting and enjoyable romcom comes from this mishmash of ideas. Go for the actors having fun, stay for the romcom of the year.
