September 19, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I, III & IV • Page 23 English retirees are strangers in a strange land by Dennis Seuling “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” (20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment) is a joy for those who love veteran thespians who can act up a storm. A group of English retirees decides to relocate to a seniors’ hotel in India, to live a relaxing life of leisure. Unfortunately, the hotel turns out to be a dive that is rundown, dreary, and depressing. The characters are a lot more colorful and interesting than the plot. Tom Wilkinson plays gay magistrate Graham Dashwood, who has returned to India to find the boy he loved and left when he was young. Bill Nighy is retired bureaucrat Douglas Ainslie with an irritating, constantly complaining wife (Penelope Wilton), whose savings have been lost by a daughter’s careless investment. Judi Dench is recent widow Evelyn Greenslade, who has never before looked after herself. Maggie Smith is Muriel Donnelly, an unapologetic racist in need of a hip replacement. Celia Imrie is Madge Hardcastle, a gold digger who is still very much on the prowl. The film attempts to tell too many stories simultaneously, which gives it an overstuffed feel. However, these days, it is unusual to have a movie that is reliant on Golden Agers, and it is a pleasure to watch these superb actors sink their teeth into sometimes underwritten characters and enliven them with years of experience. Once the principal characters are assembled and disappointed by what they find, director John Madden provides their back stories. There are many clichés and maybe too neat an ending, but the performances more than make up for the script’s shortcomings. Personally speaking, I would be happy to watch Maggie Smith peel an apple. She is, at this point in her career, legendary and a master at her craft. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel” extras consist of only behind-the-scenes footage and some location interviews. “The Victim” (Anchor Bay) is a good example of what happens when one person fills three key roles: writer, director, and actor. In this case, that person is Michael Biehn (“Terminator,” “Aliens”). Party girls Annie (Jennifer Blanc) and Mary (Danielle Harris) find themselves in a life and death situation. Annie’s life is put in jeopardy when she witnesses the rape and murder of her closest friend at the hands of two sheriff’s deputies (Ryan Honey, Denny Kirkwood). With her pursuers closing in, she stumbles across Kyle (Biehn), a recluse living in the middle of the woods. A rugged loner, Kyle finds the stillness of the woods comforting. He keeps civiliza- Judi Dench and Maggie Smith in ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.’ tion far away until a single knock on his door throws his solitary life into turmoil. This tawdry film attempts to emulate the exploitation flicks that used to flourish in pre-Disneyfied, 1970s Times Square movie houses. Rated R, this film is extremely violent and tough to watch. Rape, murder, gunplay, assorted psycho- paths, crooked cops, adult language, and clichés built on clichés abound. Extras on the Blu-ray release include audio commentary with Biehn and a making-of featurette. “The Do-Deca-Pentathlon” (20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment) is about (continued on Crossword page)