It’s been awhile since we saw the first movie in the series but it took only a few minutes before I remembered the story behind each of the characters. This second movie catches us up on the doings of the residents and the proprietor as he attempts to purchase and open a second hotel in his chain.

All the cast are back (Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Bill Nighy and Dev Patel), with the addition of Richard Gere (who didn’t add much to the story in my opinion).  It’s been far too long since we had any Bollywood dancing in a movie!

From the previews, I was expecting a very dramatic story with, perhaps, some bullying and aggression. All the acting was exceptional – I’m not sure I would have recognized Steve Carell and Mark Ruffalo had their names not been in the credits. Just as the film was ending (and I was thinking the movie was a little boring) it took a sudden turn. The movie is based on a true story and I think I’ll be ordering the book from the library.

With this cast how could the movie not be good? I expected it to be a comedy and there were certainly some very funny parts when Kevin Kline’s character inherits a home in Paris only to discover that there is a tenant-for-life living there, along with her daughter.

The story has a serious side though as the two middle-aged children come to terms with the damage done to themselves and their families when it is revealed that the father of one and the mother of the other had a long-term love affair.

This is the story of a young drummer who wins a spot in a studio jazz band at his college, only to be bullied and pressured by his teacher to perform even better. When the student lashes out at his teacher, both he and the teacher leave the school. Later they meet again and this time the teacher is determined to get his revenge. I worried that the movie was saying that bullying, with the right outcome, is somehow okay.