Monday, July 16, 2012

Marigold Hotel

Everybody told me I would love the movie Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and everybody was right. I went last night, to the packed Normal Theatre, and walked through beautiful Uptown Normal afterwards with my mom, visiting the new train station just after a train had arrived (excellent restrooms!), and having ice cream cones on the patio at Emack and Bolio's under a fabulous exploding-with-music metal and light sculpture by Herb Eaton.

I am still and again singing the praises of my hometown.

Thanks to Normal for the new Marriott, and thanks to Beyond Normal Films for the Best Exotic Marigold.

The movie was funny, beautiful, and profound and full of actors I love--Judy Dench and Maggie Smith, of course, and Tom Wilkinson, but also the fabulous Bill Nighy of The Girl in the Cafe, a sweet movie about social justice that I recommend to all.

My kids like Bill Nighy because of Shaun of the Dead, a zombie movie, and his wife in that is Penelope Wilton, also his wife in this. So it's a Random Coinciday in the blog!

And also a Blue Monday, as the forget-me-nots keep blooming and the blue spiderwort have come back, revived by a spot of rain.

And it's even a Poetry Someday, as I got a good draft of a poem this morning, one that had been hanging around in the air like humidity, and then let loose.

12 comments:

darkwater64 said...

We really liked it too. I noticed the packed crowd was a little older than you often see.

Kathleen said...

Yes! Thanks for visiting here, and I love seeing the art at your blog!

Paulette said...

I love that movie too Kathleen. The entire cast was phenomenal, and the cinematography was beautiful. And it was funny and bittersweet and everything a good movie should be. And it was also a perfect excuse to have popcorn and drink a glass of wine!

Kathleen said...

Oh, now I want wine and popcorn!

Hannah Stephenson said...

This has been such a great summer for movies. We recently saw Moonrise Kingdom and Brave (BOTH WERE WONDERFUL!!!).

This movie looked good, too---thanks for the recommendation.

Kathleen said...

I've been hearing good things about both of those movies, Hannah, and Beyond Normal is bringing Moonrise Kingdom later in the season, so I will probably see it then!

Collagemama said...

I'm in the middle of the Hedgehog DVD and loving it. Glad you insisted it would not ruin my memory of the book. Adding the Marigold to my long list to watch one of these days.

Kathleen said...

Yay! Yes, the book and movie are different but both good. I realized at the end of Best Exotic Marigold Hotel that it is based on a book, too--These Foolish Things, by Deborah Moggach.

She is also the author of Tulip Fever, the book that a character in the movie is reading! Wooee.

seana graham said...

I really want to get to this one. I am having a really hard time going out to movies these days. Gotta make a place for it.

Your hometown sounds great.

Kathleen said...

I very often see movies well after their release, for various interrupted-life reasons + $$ reasons, but so often at just the right time!

Andrea (Andee) Beltran said...

This is an excellent movie indeed! Happy to hear someone else has seen it and loved it. Next on the list is Moonrise Kingdom.

Kathleen said...

Hearing good things about that one.