User Reviews

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.

At one point in "Hotel Rwanda," our hero Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) asks an American TV reporter (Joaquin Phoenix) how the western world could not intervene after seeing scenes of women and children being hacked by machete-wielding Hutu militia.

How could they not, indeed! As we all know, the west didn't intervene. Not surprising, really. After all, this was Africa and Rwanda had no oil reserves. The people being killed were innocent men, women and children, but they were poor and black.

A few years ago, former President Bill Clinton apologized to Rwandans for not intervening during the 100-day massacre that saw about one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus slaughtered in the most barbaric manner. It was gracious of Clinton, but a fat lot of good his apology did to the people who were killed and their families.

The Rwandan genocide - that's what it was, though western leaders split hairs over the meaning of genocide – also was a black mark on western nations, which simply got their citizens out of Rwanda and then remained indifferent to the senseless killings.

Terry George's film gives us one story about the Rwandan genocide, of one hero, Paul, a savvy, clever and cunning manager of a swank, four-star Belgian hotel in the capital, Kigali. When the massacres began, Paul, a Hutu, sheltered more than 1,200 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in the hotel and saved them from the wrath of the bloodthirsty mobs.

Working from a smart script by Keir Pearson and George, "Hotel Rwanda" contains gutwrenching and emotionally trying moments not seen on the big screen since "Schindler's List" (1993). But whereas Spielberg's masterpiece was more arty and artistic - and I don't mean that pejoratively - George's film seems more immediate. Maybe it's because we now see a similar slaughter of poor, downtrodden people in the Darfur region of Sudan and, again, western nations aren't doing much other than threatening to rap the knuckles of the bad guys like angry teachers. This crisis gives "Hotel Rwanda" a sense of urgency.

As visceral as this film is at times, George handles everything in muted fashion. We never see the horrors firsthand. There's brief news footage of people being killed and one particularly searing scene when Paul and his bellhop Gregoire (Tony Kgoroge) find themselves on a bumpy road. The moment's made more horrifying because George unveils it quite matter-of-factly.

Making a PG-13 film about genocide requires numerous compromises. Putting most, if not all, of the violence off-camera is one such bargain George made. True, a closer look at the massacre would have rightly tortured us. But the film, nevertheless, works without gruesome moments. Pearson and George set out to make a story of heroism, survival, love and compassion amid the madness. And they succeeded.

Cheadle carries the entire film. There isn't a false note in his performance. For years, he's turned in one superb performance after another. He's one of those actors who never hits it wrong and whose performances always stand out even if the films themselves aren't all that memorable. Here, he's in equal measure the smooth manager, man with a conscience and frightened husband and father. You can sense Paul's frustration, though Cheadle rarely displays any vulnerability.

He gets great support from Sophie Okonedo as Paul's Tutsi wife, Tatiana, and Nick Nolte doing his best work in years as a Canadian United Nations officer, Colonel Oliver. Okonedo and Cheadle are utterly believable as a couple. They have one traumatic scene on the hotel roof, a quietly powerful moment that tugs at our heartstrings as we watch two people who love each other try to deal with what could happen. Okonedo conveys anger, fear and pain without ever turning the moment sentimental or needlessly overwrought. That's why the moment's shattering.

"Hotel Rwanda" isn't flawless. George doesn't harshly indict the west for its indifference. Also, some scenes, especially one near the film's end, seem staged for obvious dramatic effect, to play with our sense of sympathy and dread. But minor faults can easily be forgiven because the rest of the film works so well, never sensationalizing any moment. The film's straightforward approach gives it more power, makes it more trenchant and meaningful.

I would like to believe that we learn from history and the more powerful western nations will always come to the aid of oppressed people everywhere. But we're doing little in Darfur and although President George W. Bush openly touts his vision to spread liberty and democracy to oppressed peoples everywhere, I doubt he actually means it. After all, this freedom doctrine was something he created only after his initial justification for waging an unjust war - Iraq's supposed stockpiles of WMD - proved to be wholly without merit or fact. I doubt he actually considers bringing liberty to places like Zimbabwe or Burma. He speaks of the need for people to be free, conveniently ignoring some dictatorial nations - Pakistan and Turkmenistan, for instance - because they happen to be our allies. And so the dumb foreign policy continues.

I can only hope the success of "Hotel Rwanda" will prompt other gutsy screenwriters and filmmakers to tell us more stories about the horrors that took place and the complacency of industrialized nations that could have helped and chose not to.

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.

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.

The only comment I can give about this movie is - SEE IT. It's one of the most heart wrenching, yet beautiful movies I've ever seen. I really hope Don Cheadle and the movie receive Oscars! The acting is superb and the fact this is based upon a true story only makes it better. You may need some Kleenex as I was overwhelmed for a large part of this movie.

I had the honor of seeing this movie at a preview screening with the real "Paul" and his wife attending - what an absolute amazing experience to be in their presence. This movie will make you rethink everything about what it means to be human and how much we need to think about all our neighbours in this world.

Don't miss it!

I have never been so touched by a movie. It was the hardest movie I have ever sat through but also the best. it's so easy to ignore human rights abuses if they are not happening to you or your family, but just because you ignore it, they are still happening. i hope this movie receives the praise it deserves. i am frustrated because nothing i can type can represent how powerful this movie is or how much it moved me. i can't comment on the amazing acting or cinematography or directing because the movie transported me. i did not think about the making of the movie but rather sat shocked and horrified and nauseated and inspired. there was the red cross agent. there were heroes and while human nature perverts and the thin veil of culture unravels, there is still good. i have to look at the good of the heroes in the movie and of the people that wrote the movie, and realize that going to the movies doesn't have to be about escapism. it can be about reality. this is a must-see, not because it will make you laugh but because it will make you think and feel.

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

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!

This is a good movie. That can't be denied. But it is also the polished PG-13 version of one of the most horrifying events in modern history. Every little bit of information about the Rwandan genocide, that can find its way to the knowledge of people, is of course precious, and for that I am happy that this movie was made and brought lights to the topic in a way that regrettably not even the actual genocide could do. BUT... (And this is a big BUT.)

This movie, has IMO never been able to fully depict the absolute horror of the genocide in Rwanda. It is not about the amounts of blood on the screen, nor the number of bodies in piles in the frames. It's about how you close up to the subject. And nothing in this movie makes me relive the anguish and emotional trauma which I felt when I was in Rwanda, some 8 yrs after the genocide. I have seen the scarred remains of a country trying to build itself up from the ashes. I've seen the mass graves, the Gacaca courts, the thousands and yet thousands of convicted perpetrators in their pink uniforms, working the fields. I have been to the survivors center and I have seen the thousands of skulls lying in N'tarama Church. What does "Hotel Rwanda" make me feel? Not very much. (As a note - I have also been to "Mille Collines". Which was a rather bizarre feeling, that luxury in the midst of poor Kigali.) This movie is just a little bit too detached from the reality as it was, to get to you in the way that the story of the genocide really does, if told in another way. Sure, I can see that people who have not known much about the Rwandan genocide, can get very emotionally affected by the movie, and I do too, of course. But, I still think that this movie makes a quite a shallow impression compared with other movies on the topic. Of course, I wasn't there when it actually happened, but when you have seen the mayhem after it with your own eyes, it's still different to when you haven't.

AND ALSO - the thing that bugs me the most is the fact that Paul Rusesabagina really isn't quite the hero the world seems to think him to be. Did you know that the man "sold" shelter to the refugees coming to Mille Collines? The ones with money got in, the ones without, didn't. So the people who survived thanks to Rusesabagina were mainly very rich. Of course it's good that they survived, but what about the ones with no money. Rusesabagina did good, yes. But is he a hero? No. The heroes were the families who hid their neighbors, the UN-soldiers who desperately tried to get word out to the the rest of the world and get military task forces in, but were ignored and left to see the slaughter with tied hands. The people who risked their own lives to try to save others. The soldiers of the RPF, who were the ones who stopped this madness. Never believe everything you see in a movie without trying to get the full picture.

No... if you are interested in this horrific but engaging chapter of modern history, and wish to know more about the shameful way in which the UN and the rest of the world handled the whole thing, I strongly recommend you to watch some other stuff. Like the best movie made about the Rwandan genocide: "Shooting dogs", which is much more likely to get you to understand the event in a more broad way, as well as give a much more deep emotional experience. "Shake hands with the devil" is a very well made TV-production about one of the true heroes from Rwanda 1994 - Roméo Dallaire. (On which Nolte's character in "Hotel Rwanda" was loosely based). There is also a very good documentary with the same name - "Shake hands with the devil - the journey of Roméo Dallaire". Also, there are some other movies on the topic - of which "Sometimes in April" is the best. I recently saw "Kinyarwanda", which was very good from some aspects.

I have just seen this film and have to say I am deeply moved by it. The premise of the film is about one mans struggle to do the right thing at when everything around him is going wrong.

Don Cheadle is the best African American actor out there. His passion and heart was so strong that moved me almost to tears. There is a definite wish here to let this story to be known to the world.

Its powerful and provocative in its indirect and subtle jabs at the west for not intervening into such a horror that took place in Rwanda.

Very well made and directed. Please see this and let it inspire you as it did me - to try cultivate selfless actions.

Thanks, Ricky Thind

"Hotel Rwanda" is an incredibly sad sort of film. After all, during 1994 between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were murdered--mostly Tutsis hacked to death due to an insane tribal rivalry with the more numerous Hutus. Genocide is not pleasant viewing. However, the film is a bit easier to watch than it could be, as most of the scenes of the slaughter are pretty tame. This isn't really a complaint--it doesn't deny the killings but it also doesn't show a lot of hacked off limbs and bodies (though there are quite a few of the latter). I appreciate how the MPAA changed their minds and re-rated the film PG-13 instead of R, as R would seem to imply that it's not a film for a wide audience. Folks should see this film.

Instead of "Hotel Rwanda" showing the violence in a general fashion, it focuses on a very brave man. Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) was the man who ran the swank Hotel Rwanda around the time of the genocide. In a very brave move, he opened the hotel to the Tutsi (who were being massacred) and created a tenuous safe haven. However, when the UN pulled out (as the UN did what it usually does in these situations...NOTHING!), Rusesabinga had to learn on the fly to work with the ruling powers, the mobs and the few remaining UN troops (though most had left). Rusesabinga managed to not only save his family (his wife was Tutsi and children half-Tutsi) but 1200 people through his heroics. The film shows the way he connived and begged and worked to make this possible in the midst of Hell.

The film is a high quality and well made product. Not surprisingly it's on the IMDb Top 250 list and it also was nominated for three Oscars (including one for Cheadle who sure sounded African to my untrained ears). And, not surprisingly, it's an awfully tough film to watch. I don't recommend it for very young audiences but folks need to see this film and realize we have not come that far as a world. And, it's sad the film and other films about Rwanda during this period didn't come out until a decade after the massacres. It also makes you realize just how far from its original charter the UN has gone--it SHOULD have been able to take a stand against such evil.

Sentimental dramas are not my thing, but after the good reviews that Hotel Rwanda has been winning itself; I figured it has to be worth a go, and it was; but that's all it's worth. For a film that's supposed to 'stay with you' and 'leave an impact'; Hotel Rwanda is a huge disappointment. There isn't much in this film that wouldn't be able to be took from a documentary on the subject of the plight of Rwanda; but it has to be said, in spite of this, that Hotel Rwanda balances it's story with the human drama rather well, as not too much time is ever spent on either. The film can easily be likened to a disaster movie, as it gives two sides of a story - one being a terrible happening and the other being the effect on the people involved. This likeness continues when you come to realise that the protagonists are totally uninvolving characters and the only reason that the film gives you for feeling for them is the fact that they're the leads. Hotel Rwanda will get praise from some people because it's based on a true story, but this film fan isn't as easily impressed as many evidently are.

The film is very well put together, with the acting, direction and production values all being very classy examples of how good each can be. The story takes in themes of the futility of war, love for your fellow man and, of course, the race divide (another reason for the good critical reaction), and it has to be said that all of these things are done well, and even quite potent at times. The film is also notable for avoiding many of the pitfalls that befall most dramas of this nature - things such as over the top sentiment or long, heartfelt speeches. While the film definitely has an underbelly of sentiment, it never sees fit to fully expose it; and that is always a good thing in my opinion. The film is keen to give glimpses of it at it at times, however, and these moments tend to be cringe-worthy. The ending is a prime example of that; and despite the fact that this is based on a true story and that's simply 'how it ends'; the film could have handled it better, and then I wouldn't have left the cinema feeling like I'd just been slapped in the face after spending two hours of my time on the film.

On the whole, Hotel Rwanda is a long shot away from being a 'bad' film; but it's not a great film either, and the lack of sympathy for the characters will make some people feel like they should have watched a straight documentary instead. Many have, and will continue to be seduced by the racism theme and the fact that it's based on a true story; but not me, and hopefully not you either, as there's more to a great film than just that.

The only possible explanation I can think of for the high regard and score for this film is that people are reviewing the theme, or the intentions, rather than the movie itself.

I found the script incredibly puerile. I felt embarrassed for the actors having to say lines like "How can people be so cruel?" or Joaquin Phoenix exclaiming "I feel so ashamed" because a porter holds an umbrella over his head.

It was no surprise to learn that the writer, an editor, wrote it in his spare time, and had not written anything before. There are no rounded characters, only mouthpieces for the humanitarian message that the writers are trying to convey.

The story is decent enough, and there are some effective scenes such as a convoy of vehicles driving into an ambush, but all of these play better with the sound down. The dialog was more suited to a Steven Seagal action movie than a fact-based movie with serious pretensions. The director resorted too easily to slushy music to tell the audience how to feel. And the characters were paper-thin: the hero who loves children and animals, the angelic aid worker, the cowardly bad guys.

Given the subject matter, this review will probably come across as mealy-mouthed and uncharitable. But this is a site for reviewing movies, not causes.

I have no doubt that this is the only movie for the past year that can get me totally, if not 101%, emotionally involved. For other movies, I might be interacting with the story a lot , say associating my personal experiences with the characters, making judgment on them, criticizing the development of the story, ways of expression, the cinematography, acting, etc. BUT, Hotel Rwanda simply took me over as I was watching it. My emotion was going along with Paul ( Don Cheadle) all the time. The director did a great great job in capturing the feelings of people facing uncertainty, horror, ridicules, anger, death, waning faith... Family, life and dignity/integrity become the largest things in the situation. What's more is that it squarely shows the realist thinking in international politics.It honestly shows the weakness or helplessness of the UN and the non-governmental organizations. It truthfully tells how indifferent most of the international community (or individuals, which may or may not include you and me) are towards the deprivation of social justice taking place in other parts of the world. It makes you question to what extent that it is true to say what we see ( the sufferings in the world) is what we tolerate. It shows you how monstrous human being can be. It scares you how sanity would fail. At the same time, the uglier the people become, the more beautiful you find those who have managed to keep brave and maintain humanity. The movie fully succeeds in showing me the spirit, faith, and compassion that the world is dreaming for.

I'm a college freshman at a small school in New York taking a class on the individuals role and responsibility in community. We read the book "We'd like to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families" about the Rwandan genocide and then went to see this movie. It is very accurate about what happened but reading it is just not the same as seeing it, it seemed horrendous always but when I actually saw the movie it was just... Jesus... it's so hard to believe that this happened and that this could. The film was excellent in both execution and portrayal. Everyone must see this movie and know we are all human beings and it is our responsibility to be there for each other. Jesus Christ... this can not happen.

"Hotel Rwanda" recreates the 1994 Rwandan Genocide in the same way that "Schindler's List" recreated the genocide against the Jews. The movie shows not only the massacre, but also how the international community did nothing to stop it. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle) and his wife Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo) sheltered several Tutsis and moderate Hutus in the Mille Collines hotel, saving them from getting murdered.

Right after I saw the movie, I attended a speech by the real Paul Rusesabagina at Lewis & Clark College. He explained how the Belgian colonization of Rwanda set the stage for the 1994 genocide (the Belgians put the minority Tutsis in power, completely disenfranchising the majority Hutus), and what it was like for him experiencing it. As for why specifically the international community did nothing to stop the massacre, Rusesabagina said (as a mild joke): "Maybe it's because Rwanda doesn't have oil." Anyway, "Hotel Rwanda" is a very powerful movie that reminds us not only of this specific event, but about what can happen if we forget the past. I recommend it to everyone.

What were you doing in 1994? I was probably rockin to Soundgarden's latest album on my portable CD player, waiting for Seinfeld to come on while pondering the OJ Simpson murder case, the "news of the century."

Meanwhile, as many as one million people were being butchered with machetes, raped and tortured by their fellow humans, as an entire nation collectively lost its mind.

Suddenly Seinfeld ain't so funny.

This film is epic, if for the sole reason that it brings to light a horrific chapter of human history that many of us would otherwise know nothing of. Let me repeat: as many as 1 million people (the population of North Dakota and Wyoming combined) were slaughtered, and the politicians of the western world did nothing to stop it, and the media never gave it 1/1000th as much air time as OJ. Yes, it is a disturbing film, but it focuses on the brave struggle of one individual in his efforts to save as many lives as possible. So it is also a very inspiring film.

To be honest I was too engrossed in the story to be able to review this movie on technical merits such as acting, cinematography, musical score, etc. I believe that is the way to watch this film; it is not a film, it is an experience. A lesson. A reminder that, while we live our comfortable lives in 1080p HD Blu-Ray comfort, we have no clue what is going on with "the other half".

I will say that every performance was very convincing, and several scenes could be called poetic if they weren't so disturbing (I'm referring to the river road in the fog... but you'll see what I mean). I was instantly pulled in by Don Cheadle as the "everyman" hero of the story, and I was equally intent on supporting cast members such as Nick Nolte whose character was based on Canadian general Dallaire (even though the real Dallaire was never consulted about this film).

It's crazy, but you'll have to keep reminding yourself that this story is real, even though its plot is as preposterous as the craziest Hollywood fiction you've seen.

This is a film I highly recommend to people who like to get involved. Whether you're a political activist, whether you volunteer walking dogs at your local animal shelter, or whether you blog about life in general, this is a film for you. Yes, it will upset you. But I think in the end it will get you stoked to get out there and change this damaged world.

The madness one sees in this brilliant film is hard to imagine, yet it occurred in Rwanda. Terry George, the director, captures those terrible days in Rwanda in his film "Hotel Rwanda". Mr. George has to be commended for bringing to the screen a detailed account of a country in chaos. Working with Keir Pearson on the screen play, the director presents us with the horrors of what the country lived during the holocaust that befell Rwanda.

At the center of the story is Paul Rusesabagina, a courageous man who witnessed first hand the worst days of the Hutu rebellion and its bloody aftermath. This man alone was able to protect and to save more than a thousand Rwandans that clearly would not be around today, had it not been for his tremendous stand against people that showed no mercy, or wouldn't reason about what they were doing to their fellow citizens.

The performance of Don Cheadle, as Paul Rusesabagina, is worth the price of admission! This wonderful actor projects such an intelligence that it's hard to find in any American film released in 2004. Mr. Cheadle was right to portray this man; it was a role he was born to play. Mr. Cheadle got under the skin of the hotel manager and runs away with the film. It's hard to keep ones eyes from this commanding performance.

The rest of the mostly black cast is excellent. One must single out Sophie Okoneko, who plays Paul's wife with such dignity that she perfectly matches Mr. Cheadle's performance. Nick Nolte is fine as the UN Colonel trying to keep peace in a place gone mad.

Congratulations to Mr. George. With this film he touches us in more ways than we imagined. The unfortunate tragedy could well have been avoided if the international community would have intervened sooner, but obviously, it didn't even try until it was too late.

This movie is so brilliant and powerful. I think this movie will make viewers want to do something and take action where it is needed, locally or globally. It makes the viewers question, "Where were we about eleven years ago (I was about five or six years old) and why didn't we help?" and "How can people be so cruel?" I can believe people are that cruel but at the same time I can't believe it. It is very touching and very moving and hopefully it will open eyes to the trouble around the world. The message of this movie needed to be delivered to America and this movie delivers it excellently. This movie deserves to win "Best Picture" of the year. This movie will make you think. I don't think anyone could walk away from this movie unchanged.

The historical errors in the film Hotel Rwanda will unfortunately go unnoticed by the average viewer. While the film is not billed as a documentary, the director has neglected to provide any disclaimers for the cinematic manipulation of factual events--a manipulation which is all too obvious to those who know the history of the country well.

One of the most glaring errors in the film seems to be due to the cinematic compression of time, which is often unavoidable when attempting to simplify complex events for a general audience. The General portrayed in the film, Augustin Bizimungu, did not in fact hold that position (as Army Chief of Staff) until 3 weeks after the genocide. The actual Chief of Staff at the time, Deogratias Nsabimana, was aboard the President's plane that was mysteriously downed on April 6 (no one has claimed responsibility for this crash since, although evidence points increasingly toward the country's current President, Paul Kagame, as the man who gave the order to fire the 2 missiles that brought it down). There were, in fact, 10 people on the plane, including 2 French pilots. In addition, the airplane was a gift from Francois Mitterand. Both of these facts truly call in to question the current Rwandan government's suggestions that the French military is the entity responsible for downing the plane (which in essence, qualifies as an act of terrorism under many international legal instruments).

This last statement should not, however, be interpreted as an attempt to excuse the grave mistakes that the French did make in its Operation Turquoise.

Immediately after the plane crash, which is commonly referred to as the 'trigger' that touched off the genocide, a man named Marcel Gatsinzi was named to replace Nsabimana. 3 weeks later, A. Bizimungu was named to take over the post. (Before the plane crash, Bizimungu even lacked the credentials necessary to become a general, which makes the film's portrayal of him as such even more inaccurate.) Gatsinzi, a Hutu, is now employed in the current government of Rwanda, which is dominated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (the army that is credited with stopping the genocide).

The film further neglects to mention--not even by providing a paragraph of text that could enlighten the audience further--that the Rwandan Patriotic Front was responsible for targeted killing of tens of thousands of Hutu civilians (especially those from the North of the country) during its invasion into Rwanda in October 1990 (which instigated the civil war that preceded the genocide), as well as "after" the genocide and in the years immediately following (particularly 1997-98). The RPF currently enjoys considerable impunity for its war crimes and the crimes against humanity it has committed, and acknowledges only selected crimes.

Despite the film's compression of time, and the ahistorical consequences that arise from this, the film does provide a powerful, well-acted glimpse into an isolated part of the horror that engulfed Rwanda in 1994.

For more information about the economic roots of the genocide, read Chapter 10 ('Malthus in Africa') of Jared Diamond's best-selling book "Collapse." For more information about the genocide in practical and political terms, read "Leave None to Tell the Story" by Alison Des Forges (Human Rights Watch publication): http://www.hrw.org/reports/1999/rwanda/ Finally, if you are really serious about understanding the full context of the 1994 genocide and its international political dimensions, familiarize yourself with the research of scholars Rene Lemarchand and Filip Reyntjens (available in English).

The movie was brilliant I had to see it for history class and I learned a lot. I wanted to see the movie Don Chedle is brilliant and is great at this particular role. His wife was great as well. This is a Must see movie. It will take you back to when Rwanda was in trouble and no one came to help except one guy who sheltered 1000 Tutsis and is a hero of Rwanda. It was sad though because it was a war and a lot of people died. Very educational and a good lesson to learn about peace and war. The movie was so great but very sad I cried and I am writing an essay on the movie. I also want to see it again. It was so good and there is a lesson to be learned about helping and keeping peace between people. I felt very sorry for the people of Rwanda who lost family members.

The Rwanda genocide is certainly one of the most atrocious crime in the 1990s. Rivalry between the Hutus and the Tutsis led to the death of over a million Tutsis and moderate Hutus in a span of three months.

"Hotel Rwanda" is a true story based on this massacre. Unfortunately, I do not feel any pain watching it. The entire film focuses too much on people inside the hotel that the film fails to portray the horror of the massacre. "Hotel Rwanda" spends too much time inside the hotel. It does not show the events outside the hotel and how they connect one another. I notice the hotel but I do not witness Kigali and Rwanda.

I do not demand a feast of bloodshed, shootings, and corpses. However, I would also like to see how the terror moves Paul. I only notice several brief scenes where Paul actually witnesses many corpses and cries. The film needs to present more connections between the genocide and Paul's family.

This film has some shadows of "Schindler's List" but it is nowhere near the calibre of "Schindler's List." When Hutu soldiers started the massacre, I doubt that Paul's hotel can keep getting away from the bloodshed by means of personal relationships and bribes. I cannot believe that this is true.

"Hotel Rwanda" has its positive elements in spite of its weaknesses. I am impressed that they vividly portray the world's negligence. Foreign nations care more about pulling out its citizens than stopping the bloody massacre. This was the case in 1994 and "Hotel Rwanda" makes this point. In another scene, Paul tries to send his family away and determines to stay with others in the hotel. This scene touches me because it deeply illustrates Paul's sentiment and humanity. He is not a selfish individual caring only for him and his family.

"Hotel Rwanda" is not a bad film. Its subject is serious and worth us to reflect. However, it can do a better job portraying how atrocious the genocide was and how Paul and others survived.

This movie is an utter disgrace, falsely based on the antics of a supposedly ''hero'' of the Rwanda Genocide. As a film it does have a feel good thing going but as history it is a self serving, tissue of lies. In fact this Hutu ''hero'' was responsible for the death and blackmail of many Tutsis. He is now living in the US, a very rich man, making a fortune as a speaker by retelling these lies. If I could I would give this film no stars .