The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2015 film The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel directed by John Madden, which is the sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011). The soundtrack features original score composed by Thomas Newman and songs from popular Bollywood films. It was released through Sony Classical Records on 16 February 2015.
Contents
Background
Thomas Newman who composed the score for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel returned for the sequel. He also worked with John Madden in this film and The Debt (2011). Like the first film, the musical score accompanied Indian players and vocal soloists to bring a "musical and cultural synthesis" which was "atmospheric, surprising, thrilling, funny, haunting and entirely sui generis", according to Madden. The film's soundtrack was announced on 28 January 2015 and was released in the United Kingdom on 16 February and in United States on 3 March.
Reception
James Southall of Movie Wave wrote "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is every bit as good as the first one was and it's great to hear this wonderful composer excel once again, showing that just because it's lighter fare it doesn't mean it can't be very satisfying. It's music that's just full of sparkling life and it's wonderful." AllMusic wrote "At times moving, whimsical, or celebratory, Thomas Newman's score for the second in the Marigold Hotel film series mixes Eastern and Western influences, blending Indian scales, rhythms, and instruments with a Western orchestra—to varying degrees".
Richard Lawson of Vanity Fair wrote "Thomas Newman's dreamy score wraps us in its shimmery pashmina". Peter Debruge of Variety wrote "Thomas Newman's score works, elbowing its way in to boost the energy at any moment we might want to catch our breath, while also supporting two full-blown Bollywood-style dance numbers." Adam Lubitow of City called it an "effective score from Thomas Newman, add to the polished feel." A reviewer based at The Copenhagen Post wrote "Thomas Newman's score is surprisingly rich and understated".
Personnel
Credits adapted from liner notes:
Accolades
Newman's score was shortlisted as one among the 112 original scores to be considered for the 88th Academy Awards but was not nominated.