Review of Hotel Rwanda (2004) by Ian H — 03 Apr 2010

Hotel Rwanda is a dramatic retelling of the Rwandan genocides that took place in the '90's. For those of you unfamiliar with the genocides, it started when the two groups of people in the country, the Hutus and the Tutsis, finally started a full out fight.

The Hutus believed the Tutsis to be rebels who needed to be eliminated from the earth, while the Tutsis simply wanted it to end. The government funded a militia group, the Interhamwe, to carry out the deed.

Cheadle superbly plays (in an Oscar Nominated role) the manager of the Milles Collines Hotel, which becomes home to Tutsi refugees. He is a Hutu, which does grant him some leverage in negotiations, but it wouldn't be a great movie if that was all that happened.

Nick Nolte is also strong in a supporting role as the UN commander called in to keep the peace. He has to protect the refugees in the hotel, while he doesn't want to force the peace, but also is losing support from the patron nations of his peace keeping force.

In its best moments, this film is nail-bitingly tense, where your heart is racing as the opposing forces square off. And in its worse, it's still pretty damn good. One of my only real gripe is that Cheadle's character seems a little too one-dimensional, even if he was like that in real life.

Overall though, Hotel Rwanda is nearly a must-watch for anyone who likes watching a film with great acting, tension, and a powerful message about the western world.