Hotel Rwanda
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Movie Reviews of Hotel Rwanda
Movie Review: Poise and Courage Under Fire
Summary: 5 Stars
Okay - I have to admit: When I first saw Crash - I thought that Don Cheadle was a bit overrated - then I saw Hotel Rwanda. The movie, based on a true story, is set during the 1994 genocide of Tutsis by the majority Hutus. This madness resulted in the deaths of 1 million men, women, and children. While this systematic annihilation was taking place the whole world, the U.N. and the major powers sat back and did practically zilch. Against this milieu, director Terry George tells us an inspiring story of one audacious individual - Paul Ruseabagina, the manager of the Hotel Mille Collines in the city of Kigali, who gave sanctuary to more than 1,200 refugees - a majority of them Tutsis.
Coming around full circle to Don Cheadle - the character of Ruseabagina is difficult and challenging. A smooth operator - from early on in the movie - we see he knows the correct palms to grease and the right people to network - not easy to effect a transformation. In the movie we see a smooth Ruseabagina turn it an altruistic, self sacrificing character - a real challenge and a real triumph for Cheadle. Ruseabagina is a great amateur sociologist and an observer of human nature. Being a kind and decent man, Ruseabagina at first is in denial of the breadth of the insanity enveloping Rwanda. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that one cannot satiate the monster of hatred. To begin with - we can see why he effects the transformation - his wife is a Tutsi. He shelters her and his two young daughters as well as a plethora of other friends at eh hotel and it steamrolls from there. As the movie rolls along more and more Tutsis - derisively categorized as "cockroaches" by the Hutu fanatics - run to the hotel as a refuge.
This is where Ruseabagina's transforms from a limited man to one of universal altruism - despite the dangers to himself and even his family. He calls in favors from everyone he knows - from the sympathetic U.N. colonel (Nick Nolte) whose role is limited, to the military and police officials he has catered to over the years - to corrupt generals that he constantly has to threaten and cajole to help protect and defend his hotel and its refugees. Cheadle, arguably gives the performance of his career as Ruseabagina - one that some like myself would argue is deserving of an Oscar. What Cheadle was able to get across was the personal side of the story - of one man trying to maintain his sanity and emotional poise while all around him people are being slaughtered. In reflective moments he vents his despair that overwhelms him. Conversely, in public, he is the pillar of strength. The struggle and the portrayal thereof is what makes Cheadle the great actor that he is.
The movie is critical of what is seen as a do-nothing attitude of the Western nations and the U.N. Personified by Nick Nolte as the tormented U.N. colonel unable to act because of orders and a lack of manpower - is powerless to halt the mass killings. One is almost reminded of "Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda" the story of Romeo Dallaire. Nolte's performance as the Dallairesque is stellar. Mind you, I am speculating now that Dallaire is the inspiration for the Nolte character. The sense of disappointment and defenselessness his Col. Oliver experiences shows in every fiber of his body. As a Lecturer teaching Political Science, Sociology, and Asian Studies - I am remiss in my duties if I do not make my students watch this masterpiece. Without at doubt, it should be mandatory for everyone to see Hotel Rwanda. The carnage it graphically portrays is a bit standoffish - but if the shoe fits. The lessons it agonizingly teaches should be etched into every heart and mind. Any well adjusted individual, who watches the events unfold in Hotel Rwanda, is assailed by emotions of distress and repulsion - or should be. As the film rolls on we should be beset with feelings remorse and guilt.
Miguel Llora
Movie Review: Hotel Rwanda, An Inspirational Story
Summary: 5 Stars
Saw this film last night, and I was blown away. This is one of the most realistic and engaging docudramas that I've ever seen. For once a Hollywood production doesn't butcher a true story but rather portrays a horrific event in history with relevance and compassion.
Don Cheadle does a remarkable job as the assistant hotel manager of a Belgian luxury hotel in the capital of Rwanda. He plays the real life Hutu man who saves nearly 1300 people from certain death.
From the start of the film the audience is plunged deep into the heart of Africa, into a country which is torn apart by a civil war between the two main tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis. Ironically, the two tribes came about as a result of the Belgian colonists who arbitrarily separated the indigenous population according to their physical features: tall, narrow nosed and attractive natives were titled Tutsis while the short, broad nosed and less attractive people became the Hutus. The Tutsis were put in charge of the Hutus by the Belgians, which naturally created an animosity and a clear separation between the two groups. Several centuries later, the Hutus are in charge, while the Tutsis rebel, but not before the Hutus commit a mass genocide of Tutsi people. This all occured back in 1994, and even though the western world was in the middle of it with UN troops, they did virtually nothing to stop it. The insanity of it all is that they're all the same people who just happen to look slightly different, but due to the evil influence of the Belgians, the nation was split in two along a line of hatred that eventually erupted after generations of abuse.
What's fascinating is how Don Cheadle's character manages to constantly out-smart the enemy on all sides, against all odds no less. He was without a doubt a master of politics and if it wasn't for his quick thinking, compromising, general knowledge and people skills, 1268 people would have been added to the body count.
I truly felt for the plight of oppressed people in this film, both Hutus and Tutsis, since the evil knew no bias. The performances all around were as authentic as one could possibly expect, and as heart felt as human emotions go. It really tugs at ones heart strings and makes the audience question how such horrors can occur in the first place, and why the western powers do virtually nothing even though they have the power to stop the bloodshed.
There are so many tragic ironies in this story which makes life seem like such a sick joke at times, especially considering that such events are still occuring at this very moment in places around the world, in any number of African countries no less. The insanity boggles the mind. How can genocides still happen despite the horrible lessons humanity learned from the past world wars? How can the west merrily ignore their desperate pleas for help?
This kind of film is important to see not only for its artistic spirit and truthfulness, but also to open people's eyes and question the world around us, and it makes people appreciate what they have even more as opposed to taking our peaceful existence for granted.
Perhaps the most poignant moments of the film is when human lives are reduced to the value of trinkets, money and booze. It's an interesting study into the heart of madness and the ultimate depravity of mankind, how seemingly ordinary people can succumb to the utmost reaches of deplorability.
Definitely some food for thought and I'm glad to say it's original unlike the CGI fodder that's fed to the masses.
P.S. There's a mini-documentary as an added bonus on the DVD which drives the points home even further, notably the memorial at one of the greatest massacres. It will chill one to the bone.
Movie Review: A horrifying, eye-opening, yet uplifting and inspiring film.
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the most intensive killing campaigns in human history was conducted in the tiny Central African country of Rwanda in 1994. The brutal ethnic conflict between the Tutsis and the Hutus, which exploded into mass murder that year, have origins which go back to Belgium's colonial rule, where the minority Tutsis were favored, thus exacerbating differences between the two tribes.
In April 1994, the plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down. This event was the last straw which, after years of strife, triggered the tragic and brutal genocide. Extremist Hutu militia, aided by the Rwandan army, launched systematic massacres against Tutsis almost immediately after the plane crash. Despite reports of mass killings, most of the world turned a blind eye to the people of Rwanda. The UN failed to take immediate action to stop the bloody genocide, due to opposition from France and the US. Militiamen broke into supposedly sacrosanct Red Cross ambulances and hospitals searching for victims. Around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed within 100 days, and over three million people fled to neighboring countries.
Terry George's "Hotel Rwanda" is a gritty, realistic depiction of this terrible tragedy. The storyline is based on the true life activities of a single, man whose goal was to save as many people as humanly possible. Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina, a Rwandan who formerly managed the Milles Collines, a Belgian-owned luxury hotel in the capital city of Kigali. When Hutu extremists begin to slaughter members of the minority Tutsi tribe, Rusesabagina returns to the hotel and does everything in his power to save his family, friends, then orphans, and ultimately strangers. He uses the 4 Star facility as a refuge for as many as the walls will hold, and then some. The film follows Rusesabagina, through his real life drama, as he wheels, deals, finagles and barters for seemingly every single human life he touches. A Huti married to a Tutsi, Paul qualifies as a target for both factions. His story is that of an ordinary man who rises-up, courageously, to defy death in the name of his fellow man. "Paul Rusesabagina saved the lives of 1,268 Africans by standing with them at Hotel Rwanda."
The almost nonstop fear, suspense and sense of anxiety which permeate this film are due, in part, to Mr. Cheadle's extraordinarily believable performance, and in part, because Director George so clearly conveys here the chilling reality of recent history. George, who co-wrote the script with Keir Pearson, was assisted in his work by the actual Paul Rusesabagina and by eye witnesses to the events.
The supporting cast is excellent and features: Sophie Okonedo, who gives an outstanding performance as Tatiana, Rusesabagina's wife; Joaquin Phoenix as Jack, an American news reporter; and Nick Nolte as the indefatigable UN Colonel Oliver, who tries against all odds to keep the peace.
Man's wont to commit genocide, in the 20th century alone, makes a somber, shameful statement about the human race. Watching "Hotel Rwanda" does take an emotional toll. It is a powerful, disturbing, educationally eye-opening experience. There are some extremely unsettling images, as when Rusesabagina and a co-worker get out of their vehicle on a foggy morning, just after dawn, to inspect the road for obstructions. They find it littered with corpses, as far as the eye can see. I found myself sobbing more than once. Do not let this deter you, however. This is a brilliant movie with some incredibly uplifting and inspiring moments. "Hotel Rwanda" is a must see film about a period in recent history when most of us were too busy going about our lives to pay much attention to what was going on a small world away.
JANA
Movie Review: GENOCIDE WITH RESERVATIONS
Summary: 5 Stars
"Why are people so cruel"?
All one has to do is sit through Hotel Rwanda to arrive at the same question. As the rest of the world turned their back, Rwanda experienced a bloody civil war that over the course of three months left more than one million people dead and butchered.
Set in 1994, Hotel Rwanda is a rare exception to the rule: a message movie that doesn't feel like a message movie. Director and co-writer (with Keir Pearson) Terry George puts a human face on the tragedy through the presence of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), Rwandan manager of the four-star Hôtel des Mille Collines, in Kigali.
As a Hutu, Rusesabagina moves about freely, using his status to corral favors. Even as a peace treaty between the Hutus and the Tutsi populations is forged, Rusesabagina is aware that a civil war can break out at any moment. To insure the safety of non-Nationals, the UN sends peacekeepers, led by Colonel Oliver (Nick Nolte), to guard the hotel.
When the Hutu leader is killed in a suspected terrorist attack, rebels move through the streets, slaughtering Tutsi families. Incapable of doing anything, even when their men are killed, the peacekeepers do their best to protect the hotel, whose guest list has now swelled to include over one thousand Tutsi refugees.
Cheadle is excellent as Rusesabagina, a family man who turns to routine in order to survive chaos. As the civil war rages outside the hotel walls, Rusesabagina and his staff do their best to maintain the illusion of sanity. Simple routines become vines of hope, something to cling to when their world starts to crumble. Cheadle approaches Rusesabagina as a simple man of honor, unassuming and willing to sacrifice himself if it means saving his family and friends.
Avoiding propaganda, Hotel Rwanda explores the genocide with unflinching honesty. George never feels compelled to exploit the tragedy. Rusesabagina is presented as heroic but never saintly. He suffers through great moments of reflection, making honest but difficult decisions. Hotel Rwanda effectively allows the audience to undertake Rusesabagina's journey of self-awareness. The more he learns the more we learn. When Rusesabagina's eyes are finally wide open, we are appalled at what he sees.
As all hell breaks loose, Hotel Rwanda finds time to explore the human side of the conflict. The relationship and conversations Rusesabagina shares with his wife Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) feel genuine. Okonedo is the films emotional rock, a woman who not only understands the severity of her situation, but is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if it means her family's survival. Paul and Tatiana are soul mates, two people cut from the same cloth. When they share a Goodbye Girl moment on the rooftop of the hotel, we care about these two people so much we almost feel like intruders.
George creates images that are disturbing but unavoidable. It would have been easy to grab our hearts and minds with graphic images of slaughter, but George wants to educate rather than eviscerate. His efforts to avoid violence becomes a stronger statement than filling the screen with blood and guts. We see what we need to see, mostly in long shots, and in one absolutely chilling moment, becoming unwitting passengers down a body-lined road.
Nolte is powerful in one of the film's pivotal declarations, a truth met with stupefying disbelief. In just a few short words, Colonel Oliver lays it all on the line, and what he has to say will leave the audience equally stunned.
Movie Review: Human Face on Little Known Genocide...Devastating Viewing
Summary: 5 Stars
The thought of almost a million people killed over a 100-day period is beyond imagination, but that is exactly what happened a mere ten years ago in Rwanda when the dominant Hutu tribe slaughtered the minority Tutsi tribe in a civil war that drew little media attention, and much worse, minimal help from the United Nations peacekeeping forces. The killings were the most brutal possible, as the Tutsis were murdered one person at a time. Just like Oskar Schindler, Paul Rusesabagina is the unlikeliest of heroes, as this soft-spoken family man and savvy negotiator is put to the test in the posh Hôtel des Milles Collines, which he manages in the capital city of Kigali. Against absurd odds, he is able to provide refuge for nearly 1,300 Tutsis and consequently saved their lives. Written by Kier Pearson and Terry George, this remarkable story has been directed powerfully by George, who makes the wise decision to focus on the plight of Rusesabagina and his family rather than take a more epic approach to what would have been too overwhelming to view in full force. Their situation is compelling enough given that Paul is a Hutu and his wife is a Tutsi. Consequently, there is less emphasis on the actual killings and the political leaders involved, though enough is shown to leave a lasting impression. The prospect of death always feels imminent as the story whittles away all the parties who could have helped the Tutsis but chose not to.
Generally a dependable supporting player in grade-A Hollywood pictures, Don Cheadle is an inspired choice to play this reluctant hero, as the actor economically portrays a man used to making deals to get what he needs for the hotel and then uses this skill in response to the shocking events to pacify the Hutu general in charge. In fact, most of the film consists of his increasingly desperate negotiations as the stakes continue to climb, including making a devastating choice to stay at the war-torn hotel while pushing his family onto a truck that could mean their escape. Cheadle plays these key scenes with minimum fuss and makes them all the more emotionally resonant, in particular, when he has a delayed reaction to seeing corpses strewn on a fog-blanketed road and weeps uncontrollably as he is dressing to bargain yet again. Matching him every step of the way is the superb Sophie Okonedo, who transforms the standard wife-and-mother role of Tatiana into something quite transcendent. Effective in much smaller roles are Nick Nolte as Colonel Oliver, the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force; Joaquin Phoenix as a cynical photojournalist; Cara Seymour as a compassionate Red Cross worker; and Hakeem Kae-Kazim as the wily Hutu general George Rutanganda.
The DVD has two excellent documentaries. The first is "A Message for Peace: Making Hotel Rwanda", one of the better making-of featurettes given the participation of the real Paul Rusesabagina, who reasons that the lack of global, specifically American, support in 1994 for the Tutsis had to do with the devastating U.S. losses suffered in Somalia and the fact that Rwanda has no bargaining chip of economic value, i.e., no oil, no natural resources other than coffee and tea. The second, "Return to Rwanda", movingly follows Paul and Tatiana Rusesabagina back to their native land after living years in exile in Belgium. He even participates in the audio commentary along with George and singer Wyclef Jean. Strongly recommended, in fact, essential viewing of a reenactment of a massive genocide swept under the rug by the Western media.