Hotel Ruanda

I was fortunate to see this film at the Toronto Film Festival. I had heard nothing about this film before I read up on it in the Fest guide and originally was going to see something else. But, the subway happened to shut down and I was not going to be able to see the film I originally intended. So, I decided to give this a try.

And I am so very glad I did.

This film is by far the best drama I have seen all year, and indeed was the best film of the 11 I saw at the festival. It is gripping, heart-wrenching, and opens your eyes to so many things. Don Cheadle -- who I am a long time admirer of his work -- is phenomenal in the lead role, and I hope that he is nominated for Best Actor this year, because he certainly deserves it.

I am recommending this film to everybody I know and I hope that it gets a wide distribution because it certainly is a film that needs to be seen. While comparisons can be made to Schindler's List, I think that this film goes further to show that events like the Holocaust can happen any time -- even now -- so long as people look away, just as the UN did in Rwanda. It certainly makes one think about how easy it is for us to forget our history and allow it to be repeated, because (as one character says) we will watch it on TV, say that it is terrible, and go right on eating our dinner. 10/10

I was fortunate to see it at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hotel Rwanda starred Don Cheadle and was directed by Terry George. It's based on a true event, about Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu who worked at four star hotel in Kigali. When the war broke out he thought of only saving his immediate family but as he saw what was happening he opened the hotel to Tutsi and Hutus seeking refuge from the killing. He used all the favours he had stored as manager of the hotel and basically saved over a thousand lives. This will be the next Schindler's list. When the film was over, there was a standing ovation. Don Cheadle was excellent as an ordinary man forced to do extra-ordinary things. Paul Rusesabagina and his family attended the screening and he received a five minute standing ovation. Even Michael Moore came to see this movie. I highly recommend it. 9/10.

Anything I say in this review is probably redundant, because there isn't a single negative review in all the comments so far here, and I agree wholeheartedly with what has been said by other reviewers.

Nevertheless Hotel Rwanda is that rare kind of movie experience that doesn't easily relinquish its hold on the audience just because the credits have rolled. Watching with a friend, after ten minutes we had to pause the film because we decided we would be better served if we were more informed about what the basic facts of the conflict in Rwanda were. So to my shame, we had to read on the internet about what really happened, before we could continue. I say shame because we should have known, both of us were of an age when it happened to have taken more of an interest in world politics.

The film is beautifully understated, eschewing sentimentality in favour of raw emotion and letting the story tell itself. The acting was flawless - Don Cheadle's breathtaking performance being a particular standout - and the direction didn't falter, despite all the potential pitfalls of dramatising a recent and horrific conflict. The scenes which were hardest to watch in terms of tension and violence were often suffused with humour and hope.

It's difficult sometimes to separate the significance of the true story, from the artistry of the product, and often I get impatient with 'worthy' movies scoring big at Oscar time because it seems as though important stories ought to be rewarded, whether or not they make good films. However, I can't recall being so profoundly moved by a film since I saw The Grey Zone, and I hope Hotel Rwanda gets all the plaudits it deserves.

1994 Rwanda,Kigali. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is a Hutu happily married (Sophie Okonedo) and with children .He's a Hotel manager -Millie Collines proprietary of Belgian Airlines : Sabena- and its General Director(Jean Reno) placed in Belgium. Paul is respected for his generosity , charm , friendship and numerous contacts with important people. He's accidentally trapped in violent events when his family and neighbours are threatened to be killed . He gets avoid it by means of bribes with the hope that United Nations (UN) and international forces arrive to preventing the civil war. However the happenings break out again . After assassination President of Rwanda, all get worse. It begins the horrible genocide including rampage , massacres and ravage in Rwanda which is spread along Burundi. Slaughter of Tusis by the Hutu is executed by soldiers and rebels. A journalist (Joaquin Phoenix) get into tumult and will shoot the events to show it all around the world. Paul gets to protect his family and unfortunate refugees at the hotel but others hapless people by the hundred are coming to ask for help. Meanwhile, the refugees Tutsis flee toward Congo to find shelter .The film has an acid critic to the indolence of United Nations (exception for Colonel incarnated by Nick Nolte) and international community and specially , the abandon of the European foreign policy .

An interesting and thought-provoking film depicting terrible happenings and based on historical facts . Thus, a character tells that origin conflict is due to Belgians whom in colonization time differentiated the Tutsi as highest and more white complexion and co-governed united the country, now the Hutu are taking the vengeance. It's calculated in the indiscriminate massacre were cruelly killed by militia Interhamwe approximately one million people and in only three month. The bloody conflict finished in 1994 when the Tutsi throw out the Hutu army and militia through the frontier Congo. Leader of Interhamwe was condemned to maxim penalty. Don Cheadle's interpretation is magnificent , he was nominated to Academy Award , although wrongly didn't obtain it . The motion picture well directed by Terry George. Rating : Awesome and above average . Indispensable and essential watching.

Just saw the San Francisco premier last night and it isn't a dramatization - it's much more of a documentary -- Hotel is extremely factual. CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS FILM! INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!

The Director and the story's protagonist were at the screening to answer questions. We ovated him for almost 10 minutes. Near the end of the q&a, an older man stood up and was called on. Slowly he commented that as a Tutsi, the movie gave him a lot to think about and that it may now be possible to find peace in his heart. The audience was stunned. And believe me, it takes a lot to silence a San Francisco audience.

One last comment, the film is indpendently made and distributed - no Hollywood involvement at all (Terry George is British). There will be no machine pumping out ads and radio anouncements about this one. Help get the word out - great film!