La presse frenchy 2                                                                                                 

L’Angleterre n’est plus faite pour les seniors, même la retraite se délocalise ! Plusieurs retraités britanniques coupent toutes leurs attaches et partent s’établir en Inde, dans ce qu’ils croient être un palace au meilleur prix. Bien moins luxueux que la publicité ne le laissait entendre, cet hôtel délabré au charme indéfinissable va bouleverser leurs vies de façon inattendue.

Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Tom Wilkinson, Maggie Smith, les plus grands acteurs britanniques sont réunis pour un Et si on vivait tous ensemble ? mâtiné de crème anglaise et saupoudrée de curry. Autant dire que le plat avait tout pour être peu«lourd?» mais c’était sans compter l’indéniable charisme et le naturel des comédiens qui s’en donnent à coeur joie sous le soleil du Rajasthan. A leurs côtés, Dev Patel est une véritable bille de flipper, s’agitant aux quatre coins de l’écran à chaque apparition et révèle un tempérament comique qu’on ne lui connaissait pas encore, hormis d’avoir tourner dans Le Dernier maître de l’air. Cette adaptation du roman Ces petites choses de Deborah Moggach met en valeur une savoureuse galerie de personnages, chacun étant en quête de quelque chose (l’indépendance pour Evelyn, merveilleuse Judi Dench) ou de quelqu’un (un ancien amant pour l’émouvant Tom Wilkinson).

Cette comédie-dramatique est efficacement mise en scène par l’éclectique John Madden (The Debt (L’affaire Rachel Singer),Shakespeare in Love),les couleurs sont belles et le cadre dépaysant. Si la première partie a du mal à trouver son rythme de croisière en passant d’un personnage à l’autre et tend à enchainer les clichés sur le choc des cultures, la deuxième heure prend une autre tournure, loin de la grosse comédie british à laquelle nous a préparé la bande-annonce. Finalement, c’est dans ces moments tendres et sensibles qu’Indian Palace nous parle le plus et éveille notre intérêt. Pour cela, on est très agréablement surpris.Que ceux qui oseraient regarder un film anglais doublé en français lèvent la main !(ben chais bien.. faut dire ça à CANAL...ces gens s'obstinent !!!

Sabrina Piazzi le 17 Oct-2012

Two Important Don'ts: DON'T miss this movie, and DON'T believe the critics
10/10
Author: PurpleAlbatross
26 February 2012

I agree heartily with all the reviewers here (except "disappointed") because this is a GREAT BRITSH FILM for which the critics have not given hardly enough credit. I am glad I didn't listen to their "disappointment" and went to see it anyway. Sometimes it is critics that are the disappointment! The acting was tremendous. The setting of India was beautiful and perfect. The theatre was full and as most people have already said here, everyone was laughing out loud.It was like a great and funny and cleansing session at a cinema/therapist that just washed over you, so touching were all the emotions and insights, so real to life you could not believe they were acting.

I read one newspaper critic who said the characters didn't have enough depth. Well, no, it was a two hour movie, silly, and what you got was a vignette of 7 real lives, each of them facing the reality of old age in their own way. How wonderful to have a real movie about real issues that addresses them with humour and leaves you feeling uplifted. And how refreshing to have a film by and for the mature and senior members of society. To me the whole idea and effect of this movie is to fly in the face of the Western idea we have of old age somehow being something pitiful, to be feared, and if possible, to be glossed over, fixed up and avoided, so you can remain as young, powerful and appealing to your very last day, as possible.

The movie opens up all these ideas to question and I am sure left many, like me, pondering. Why are over 60's in this country called Old Age Pensioners, when no self-respecting American would allow that? They are "Senior" Citizens over there(note the difference). Why don't we look after and respect our elders? Why does the extended family work perfectly well in countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, India, but is a rarity here? And who is responsible for ignoring or marginalizing a whole generation of baby boomers who lived through and oversaw one of the biggest transformations in society ever? They were the generation that believed in a Brave New World, and many of them still do.

A society that doesn't value the wisdom and experience of its elders is without foundation Young and old,"every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the whole". Go and see this movie and think about it. And take your family. Great stuff.

Judi Dench  : Evelyn Greenslade

*

*

Absolutely loved it!
10/10
Author: Serenstars from United Kingdom
27 February 2012

Just got back from having seen this wonderful film at a packed cinema and I'm still smiling. It really is the most entertaining, colourful and uplifting film I've seen for a very long time. Apart from India itself - which is a star in its own right - it is the performances from this stellar cast that really make this movie. At times it was like an acting masterclass, but never at any time could you see the cogs turning. The central characters were all wholly believable, and to be honest I find it impossible to single anyone out, although if I had to, my vote would probably go to Bill Nighy.

He is just superb as Douglas - the apologetic, hesitant, henpecked husband of the self centred, bitter, scolding Jean portrayed by Penelope Wilton, who is also excellent. There is one particular scene between the two, where Douglas, for once bites back - and the emotion from Nighy is just mesmerising to watch. When you add the likes of Dames Maggie Smith and Judy Dench to the mix, the delicious Celia Imrie, Tom Wilkinson and Ronald Pickup (with an honourable mention to the latter, who brought a wonderfully rakish comedic performance to the mix) - and you can't go wrong.

The younger cast members and all the supporting players do an excellent job - but it is the oldies who steal the show. That doesn't mean it's an oldies film - far from it. I took my 16 year old daughter and she laughed, cried and loved it as much as I did.