For once I had a Saturday night out to see 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, for the Elderly, and Beautiful.' The cinema was packed with people of a certain age and I wonder how many left contemplating their dull existence and wondering if they too should decamp to India, or elsewhere, to eke out their pensions in a more fun way and a warmer climate. I did - just for a moment or two!


I think I was a little disappointed by it although it was warm, gentle, funny,  touching, colourful, all good ingredients, and the impressive cast of doyennes (there must be a masculine version for that word?)  of stage and screen gave their reliably good value. The script was unadventurous but they did their best with it. I still wonder why Maggie Smith had to change her accent; her gentile Edinburgh burr could have been roughened up a bit and served perfectly well; it was weird hearing her speak a sort of Thames Estuary/Essex. 


We had a curry afterwards because it seemed appropriate but I am regretting it right now.