On April 6, 1994, an airplane carrying the Rwandan president and the president of Burundi was shot down as it prepared to land in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Shortly after this untimely incident, bands of militia consisting of Hutu tribe extremists (known as the Interahamwe) began a genocide of horrifying proportions all across Rwanda; 937 000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were virtually slaughtered within less than four months, with the Red Cross estimating 100 000 deaths by May 1994 alone. Amazingly (& most shockingly) the United Nations withdrew almost all of their forces during this merciless bloodbath, choosing not to intercede in the affairs of the Rwandans...
Such facts are the backdrop of the story for Hotel Rwanda, but director Terry George decided to focus instead on the story of how one man, a Hutu named Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), managed to save the lives of 1200 Rwandans by hiding them in his hotel in Kigali. Both Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo (who plays his wife, Tatiana) received Oscar nominations for their performances but not without good reason; Cheadle is riveting in his quiet and nuanced portrayal of an ordinary man caught within an exraordinary circumstance, whereas Okonedo is a dignified presence despite her fragile vulnerability as his Tutsi wife. It is highly doubtful if either one of these two actors would win the coveted Oscar in the category they are nominated in, but even if they should lose out to someone with a bigger name (i.e. more famous), I'd daresay it's not because they are less talented.
What I loved most about Hotel Rwanda is how the director had kept characterizations and story development simple without compromising on the poignancy of the film. Moreover, he presents us with a myriad of ethical issues yet the film is never preachy. Frankly speaking, this is one of the few movies I've watched which does not make me glance at my watch from time to time, to gauge how much longer I have before the end-credits roll!
Although Hotel Rwanda does not possess the star-power or massive hype of box-office hits like Scorsese's The Aviator, it is, nonetheless, just as engaging, or perhaps even more so, than its more commercial counterparts. my ratings ---- 4.5/5 stars~!!!
