ONE HARSH CRITIC: Hotel Rwanda

It's rare that Hollywood actually makes you feel something.  Genuine emotion is often void in the blockbusters that frequent today's big screen.  Movies like Schindler's List, Amistad and Glory all had the power to grab the audience and enrage them about the mistreatment of a group of people.  A newcomer has now joined the ranks of those emotional films.  

Hotel Rwanda is the story of one man against an army.  Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) is the house manager at a four star hotel in Rwanda.  While the political climate of this nation during this time period is nearly impossible to understand, just know that killing had become a way of life.  The Tutsis and the Hutus were at war and the Rwandan military was only interested in economic gain.  Paul, being a truly compassionate man, lost everything he had in order to house nearly a thousand refugees at his hotel.  

The film takes place primarily during this exodus.  Paul used everything at his disposal to bargain with the military to stay and protect his hotel and when they ran out of goods to barter, the military left.  The Hutus and Tutsis were butchering each other on the streets, and the hotel was a primary target.  Paul eventually used his contacts in Belgium to get the refugees to safety.  

Director Terry George does an incredible job shedding light on a subject that has been swept under the carpet.  As this massacre was occurring, no other countries were willing to help a people doomed for militia style execution.  The conflict was unjust, and the world's superpowers turned their backs.  

The highlight of this film is Don Cheadle's portrayal of a desperate man whose heart wouldn't allow him to let go of his people.  Truly a remarkable performance, Cheadle deserves all the accolades he has been given.  It would be tough to be unmoved by this story, but told though this talented actor, I would find it hard to believe anyone could leave the theatre with dry eyes.  

While the acting and storyline are both brilliant, this film is worth seeing strictly for its historical value.  A plot that has been overlooked by history and needed to be uncovered, Hotel Rwanda is one of the most influential films I have seen in years.  

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Josh Gloer, Movie Correspondent

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