Entertainment
Film Review: ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’
Tina Desai and Dev Patel in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Courtesy Photo)
By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic
The original Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was so magical: British retirees looking for a place to nest were hoodwinked by fancy brochures into taking up residence in a boutique hotel in Jaipur, India. It turned out to be a dump. Yet, they made that hovel a home and became an extended family. That film had charm and lots of fans ($136 million at the box office). This follow-up takes those endearing pensioners a bit farther down the road.
Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), the over-excited 20-something manager of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith), the elder co-manager, head to the States to wrangle financing for a new hotel. They make their pitch to a hospitality chain and are warned that before investment dollars can flow their way, a representative will visit their first property for an inspection.
Back in Jaipur, Sonny and Muriel are on pins and needles waiting for the inspector. They have one room left to rent and two guests show up. An Englishwomen named Lavinia (Tamsin Greig) books that last room. But when a gray-haired, distinguishing looking American named Guy (Richard Gere) arrives, Sonny thinks he is the advance man and gives Lavina’s room to him. He treats the Yank like a king, and the Brit like a vagrant. But could Sonny be wrong?
Ol Parker is back as the screenwriter, and John Madden returns as the director. Both try to give this sequel the same feel as the first, but they’ve run out of ideas. Buying a new hotel seems like a giddy capitalistic exploit. Tossing in an impending marriage for Sonny to his sweetheart Sunaina (Tina Desai) is not more than a distraction. The ongoing relationships between the other retirees evolve: Evelyn (Judi Dench) buys and sells fabric, Douglas (Bill Nighy) gives guided tours and the two still flirt. Norman (Ronald Pickup) and Carol (Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating their monogamous relationship while cruising anyone who gives them attention. And Madge (Celia Imrie) is dating (bedding) two wealthy Indian men, unable to choose either.
The hotel inspector mix-up is a red herring. Sonny’s anxiety over his wedding and a romantic rival is convoluted hype. The relationships between the hotel guests have run out of gas. The only subplot that catches fire has Guy courting Sonny’s overbearing mom (Lillete Dubey), but their shenanigans are largely kept off screen.
Madden’s direction, this time around, tends toward high-pitched romantic comedy of errors. What’s lacking from the script and his guidance is real drama, an element that gave the first Exotic Hotel depth. Also, the original production was so gritty you could feel the dust on your skin. This film is so glossy looking (cinematographer Ben Smithard, production designer Martin Childs) half the footage looks like it was filmed on a Hollywood lot.
Minus a script with gravitas, Dev Patel’s once charming animated portrayal of Sonny, feels like desperate, swing-for-the-rafters acting. Smith is too subdued and her verbal barbs at Dench have lost their bite. Gere’s performance doesn’t jazz up the cast, except he gives Celia Imrie, as the always-in-heat Madge, the opportunity to blurt out, “Be still my ovaries.” Overall, the ensemble cast still includes top-notch actors, but the material fails them.
Nonetheless, this film has its moments and it builds to a crescendo that is fun. The obligatory Bollywood dance scene works its magic. The Indian setting is still charming and off the beaten path. If the producers are contemplating a third chapter they would be wise to bring back some life-and-death situations that will give the characters a pulse.
This Exotic Hotel is likable. The first Exotic Hotel was lovable. That’s the difference.
Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Arts and Culture
Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids
For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,
Everybody in your family has stories to share.
Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.
For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.
If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.
She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.
Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.
Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.
Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.
And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.
On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.
Activism
Art of the African Diaspora Celebrates Legacy and Community at Richmond Art Center
Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996.
By Carla Thomas
The 2026 Art of the African Diaspora exhibition is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC) through March 14. The one-room gallery bursts with more than 100 works – paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces – each affirming the power, beauty, and vitality of cultural expression across the African diaspora.
Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996. Their vision was to showcase the creativity of emerging and established Black artists, bridging communities and widening access to audiences historically excluded from mainstream art spaces.
Over the decades, that founding vision has expanded and evolved, carried forward by artists, family members, and the Richmond Art Center after the loss of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2018, a new generation of artists formed a steering committee to organize the event; a year later, the exhibition was renamed Art of the African Diaspora to embrace the broader global connections of people of African descent.
The new name reflects not only a broader cultural lens but also an empowered community network that supports artists across the Bay Area. As part of this year’s programming, RAC will host ‘Art of the African Diaspora: Public Art in Our Communities,’ a free panel on Sat., Feb. 21, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Artists Kristine Mays, James Moore, and Malik Seneferu will join arts administrator Denise Pate for a conversation on the impact and process of public art. The discussion will be moderated by longtime arts advocate and producer Flo Wiley.
Each panelist brings a distinctive voice to the conversation. Mays, known for her ethereal wire sculptures that capture movement and spirit, has exhibited internationally and is represented in collections ranging from the Smithsonian to the Crocker Art Museum.
Sculptor and painter James Moore creates abstract metal works and colorful field paintings that explore movement, balance, and emotion. His recent public art installations include large-scale pieces in Richmond’s Shields-Reid Park. Malik Seneferu, a self-taught San Francisco native, has built a large body of work celebrating African American life through vibrant murals and expressive figurative art.
Representing the institutional side, Denise Pate oversees public arts investments as director of Community Investments at the San Francisco Arts Commission, advancing racial and cultural equity through funding and advocacy. Together, these artists and administrators will trace how public art emerges, from concept to community collaboration, and why it matters.
The Art of the African Diaspora exhibition runs through March 14 at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. The center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and programs are free and open to the public.
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Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026
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Discrimination in City Contracts
COMMENTARY: The National Protest Must Be Accompanied with Our Votes
Congresswoman Simon Votes Against Department of Homeland Security, ICE Funding
Post Newspaper Invites NNPA to Join Nationwide Probate Reform Initiative
Community Celebrates Turner Group Construction Company as Collins Drive Becomes Turner Group Drive
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Trump’s White House Pushes to Control California Wildfire Recovery
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COMMENTARY: The Biases We Don’t See — Preventing AI-Driven Inequality in Health Care
California Launches Study on Mileage Tax to Potentially Replace Gas Tax as Republicans Push Back
Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids
OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community
Protecting California’s Black Moms and Babies: Policies and Programs Struggle to Fix Deep-Rooted Maternal Health Inequities
Why Peace on Earth Begins with Birth, a Q&A with Midwife Nikki Helms
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From Civil Rights to ICE Raids, Trump’s Unchecked Power Puts Every Community at Risk
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Entertainment
Film Review: ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’
Tina Desai and Dev Patel in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Courtesy Photo)
By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic
The original Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was so magical: British retirees looking for a place to nest were hoodwinked by fancy brochures into taking up residence in a boutique hotel in Jaipur, India. It turned out to be a dump. Yet, they made that hovel a home and became an extended family. That film had charm and lots of fans ($136 million at the box office). This follow-up takes those endearing pensioners a bit farther down the road.
Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel), the over-excited 20-something manager of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Muriel Donnelly (Maggie Smith), the elder co-manager, head to the States to wrangle financing for a new hotel. They make their pitch to a hospitality chain and are warned that before investment dollars can flow their way, a representative will visit their first property for an inspection.
Back in Jaipur, Sonny and Muriel are on pins and needles waiting for the inspector. They have one room left to rent and two guests show up. An Englishwomen named Lavinia (Tamsin Greig) books that last room. But when a gray-haired, distinguishing looking American named Guy (Richard Gere) arrives, Sonny thinks he is the advance man and gives Lavina’s room to him. He treats the Yank like a king, and the Brit like a vagrant. But could Sonny be wrong?
Ol Parker is back as the screenwriter, and John Madden returns as the director. Both try to give this sequel the same feel as the first, but they’ve run out of ideas. Buying a new hotel seems like a giddy capitalistic exploit. Tossing in an impending marriage for Sonny to his sweetheart Sunaina (Tina Desai) is not more than a distraction. The ongoing relationships between the other retirees evolve: Evelyn (Judi Dench) buys and sells fabric, Douglas (Bill Nighy) gives guided tours and the two still flirt. Norman (Ronald Pickup) and Carol (Diana Hardcastle) are negotiating their monogamous relationship while cruising anyone who gives them attention. And Madge (Celia Imrie) is dating (bedding) two wealthy Indian men, unable to choose either.
The hotel inspector mix-up is a red herring. Sonny’s anxiety over his wedding and a romantic rival is convoluted hype. The relationships between the hotel guests have run out of gas. The only subplot that catches fire has Guy courting Sonny’s overbearing mom (Lillete Dubey), but their shenanigans are largely kept off screen.
Madden’s direction, this time around, tends toward high-pitched romantic comedy of errors. What’s lacking from the script and his guidance is real drama, an element that gave the first Exotic Hotel depth. Also, the original production was so gritty you could feel the dust on your skin. This film is so glossy looking (cinematographer Ben Smithard, production designer Martin Childs) half the footage looks like it was filmed on a Hollywood lot.
Minus a script with gravitas, Dev Patel’s once charming animated portrayal of Sonny, feels like desperate, swing-for-the-rafters acting. Smith is too subdued and her verbal barbs at Dench have lost their bite. Gere’s performance doesn’t jazz up the cast, except he gives Celia Imrie, as the always-in-heat Madge, the opportunity to blurt out, “Be still my ovaries.” Overall, the ensemble cast still includes top-notch actors, but the material fails them.
Nonetheless, this film has its moments and it builds to a crescendo that is fun. The obligatory Bollywood dance scene works its magic. The Indian setting is still charming and off the beaten path. If the producers are contemplating a third chapter they would be wise to bring back some life-and-death situations that will give the characters a pulse.
This Exotic Hotel is likable. The first Exotic Hotel was lovable. That’s the difference.
Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of February 11 = 17, 2026
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 11 – 17, 2026
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
Arts and Culture
Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids
For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,
Everybody in your family has stories to share.
Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.
For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.
If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.
She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.
Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.
Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.
Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.
And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.
On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.
Activism
Art of the African Diaspora Celebrates Legacy and Community at Richmond Art Center
Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996.
By Carla Thomas
The 2026 Art of the African Diaspora exhibition is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC) through March 14. The one-room gallery bursts with more than 100 works – paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces – each affirming the power, beauty, and vitality of cultural expression across the African diaspora.
Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996. Their vision was to showcase the creativity of emerging and established Black artists, bridging communities and widening access to audiences historically excluded from mainstream art spaces.
Over the decades, that founding vision has expanded and evolved, carried forward by artists, family members, and the Richmond Art Center after the loss of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2018, a new generation of artists formed a steering committee to organize the event; a year later, the exhibition was renamed Art of the African Diaspora to embrace the broader global connections of people of African descent.
The new name reflects not only a broader cultural lens but also an empowered community network that supports artists across the Bay Area. As part of this year’s programming, RAC will host ‘Art of the African Diaspora: Public Art in Our Communities,’ a free panel on Sat., Feb. 21, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Artists Kristine Mays, James Moore, and Malik Seneferu will join arts administrator Denise Pate for a conversation on the impact and process of public art. The discussion will be moderated by longtime arts advocate and producer Flo Wiley.
Each panelist brings a distinctive voice to the conversation. Mays, known for her ethereal wire sculptures that capture movement and spirit, has exhibited internationally and is represented in collections ranging from the Smithsonian to the Crocker Art Museum.
Sculptor and painter James Moore creates abstract metal works and colorful field paintings that explore movement, balance, and emotion. His recent public art installations include large-scale pieces in Richmond’s Shields-Reid Park. Malik Seneferu, a self-taught San Francisco native, has built a large body of work celebrating African American life through vibrant murals and expressive figurative art.
Representing the institutional side, Denise Pate oversees public arts investments as director of Community Investments at the San Francisco Arts Commission, advancing racial and cultural equity through funding and advocacy. Together, these artists and administrators will trace how public art emerges, from concept to community collaboration, and why it matters.
The Art of the African Diaspora exhibition runs through March 14 at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. The center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and programs are free and open to the public.
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