Hotel Rwanda takes you back ten years to witness the unspeakable atrocities that occurred in Rwanda. The story is the real-life story about the mass genocide that took place between the Hutus and the Tutsis. The Hutu took control of the country and began mass genocide of the Tutsi. In Hotel Rwanda we follow Paul Rusesabagina, a manager for an upscale hotel in Rwanda as he displays extraordinary courage and compassion trying to protect not only his own family from these murders, but also 1200 others. Paul selflessly takes into the hotel both Hutu and Tutsi refugees and tries to protect them in any and every way he can. All the superpowers of the world have backed out of taking action and preventing the genocide from occurring and only a small U.N force is in charge of the country.
This movie is an amazing work and what makes it more amazing is the fact that the story is real, yet little known. Honestly I didn't have much knowledge that this took place and it's hard to believe that this type of massacre could have taken place just ten years ago. Writer/Director Terry George did a magnificent job bringing the story to life without distorting it and still making the impact of the events unforgettable. George was able to focus more on the Paul's story and the emotions rather than having to produce an overly graphic depiction of the massacres.
What is even more remarkable about this film is Don Cheadle's performance playing Paul Rusesabagina. Honestly it's one of the best performances I've seen in a long time. Cheadle was able to bring the character and his struggle to keep it cool while having the world on his shoulders. The movie would really be lost without his performance. All the supporting cast was also quite good; all of the actors really gave excellent performances which made the movie believable and an affecting experience.
Overall Hotel Rwanda is a must watch for everyone. Not only is it a moving and inspirational work of art, but also an educational film about events which it seems many people overlooked or forgot about. It's sad that this film was never nominated for a Best Film award as it truly deserves it and even sadder that the real story and events never got the attention that they truly warranted.
"Hotel Rwanda" opens December 22, 2004 and is rated PG13. Drama. Directed by Terry George. Written by Terry George, Keir Pearson. Starring Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte.
