Film Review: Hotel Rwanda (2004) B+

Date Viewed: 1/25/08
Venue: Universal HD

Hotel Rwanda tells the true tale of luxury-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), who takes in over a thousand Tutsi refugees during their bloody struggle with Hutu militias. As the film begins Paul is simply a good family man who is very good at his job, effortlessly catering to the needs of the visiting (and local) rich and powerful. As tension between Hutus and Tutsis rise, Paul sincerely believes things will blow over, he is above such seemingly arbitrary labels (he is Hutu and his wife Tutsi). When a neighbor Tutsi is beaten and taken in by a Hutu militia on suspicion of spying, Paul elects to stay with his family rather than help the man, putting his family first.

Things go to hell quickly as Hutu militias overrun the country, hunting down and brutally exterminating the Tutsis. U.N. Peacekeeper troops drop off dozens, then hundreds of Tutsi refugees at the hotel. Instead of ostensibly saving his own Hutu skin and staying out of things, Paul takes the refugees in, using his connections and influence to ensure their safety. A macabre juxtaposition occurs as violence breaks out throughout the city (with Tutsis slaughtered in the streets, fires everywhere, and constant gunfire), yet its almost business as usual inside the hotel; piano music in the lounge, casual dining, very surreal. Eventually, Western military forces do show up, but only to evacuate the white European and American guests. Practically abandoned, Paul must stand his ground time and time again using his guile and connections to keep the Hutu militias away from the hotel and his 'guests' and family. Interestingly, Paul has enough connections to get out safely with his family, but when faced with the fates of over a thousand people, he continually elects to stay until they are all evacuated.

Don Cheadle gives an extraordinary performance as a man desperately trying to keep it all together in the worst of times, and he's truly what keeps this film together. Nick Nolte is hit-or-miss as a frustrated and ultimately ineffective U.N. commander, he goes from zero to over-acting in 2.6 seconds. And Joaquin Phoenix is also around as an ambitious reporter, who's really only around to spout exposition.

Hotel Rwanda is a very good film, no doubt about it. Between Cheadle's performance and pure strength of the material, there's a lot to like (again, I feel weird saying 'like' in the context of a genocide film). But the story feels only serviceable and straight-forward. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but perhaps the subject matter deserved a little something extra. Still, a powerful testament to events that were (and still are) sadly overlooked by the Western world.