2012 was a busy year for Maggie Smith.  In addition to her role in season 3 of “Downton Abbey,” she was featured in two, very similar films: Quartet and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.  The two movies are so similar that it’s almost impossible to review one without comparing it to the other.  Both films feature aging retirees, adjusting to both a new phase in their lives and to new environments.  However, while The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel was energetic, and uplifting, Quartet is more subtle, quiet and slightly more serious.
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