Hotel Rwanda

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  • Hotel Rwanda

    Powerful film, tearjerker, with a career best performance from Don Cheadle. I read where the studios wanted Denzel or Wesley Snipes for this movie. Neither of those two would have made this film work. Cheadle gives his character a real quality and makes us believe he was an everyday man trying to save as many lives as he could. Denzel or Wesley would have taken me right out of the story and made the protag some sort of action star or superhero.
    It's an inspiring film worth seeing if you can. Cheadle is deserving of an Oscar nom. The film even tackles aspects of the lack of the west's help during the genocide in Rwanda.
    My only problem with the film (and films such as this one) is that it was in English. I feel that it should have been in the language of Rwanda. I realize the impossibilities of making this happen from an independent or even larger studio movie. But I also think it would make it more real and therefore more powerful and emotional. But this is a minor quibble that I generally wouldn't expect to happen.

  • #2
    English is one of the three official languages of Rwanda according to the CIA World Factbook, so the quibble is certainly minor. However, I disagree that making it in another language would be an impossibility. Monoglot Joshua Marston made Maria Full of Grace in Spanish despite having to direct many of the scenes through an interpreter. It won the 2004 Sundance Audience Award and grossed over $6M domestically (and was shown all over Latin America). The benefit to making Hotel Rwanda in English is that it becomes a more accessible story to the average American moviegoer and this is very much a statement film. I have no doubt that it is the hope of the film-makers that the film forces change in American lazy ass attitudes toward African genocide.

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    • #3
      I saw the movie. Great first time lead performance by Cheadle.

      The only thing I felt that dampened the pathos of the film is that the plot stayed away from shots of the real holocaust (genocide) victims and made the film a little too prestine clean.

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      • #4
        Authorized. You risk gaining some credibility if you actually admit to liking a film that's not a franchise, sequel, remake, based on a comic book, adaptation of a popular musical, or intended to be a box office smash hit. Please don't tell me you're growing a soul, pal.

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        • #5
          Harry Lime

          What can I say, Old Green One? I'm slowing being brainwashed by your poignant, positive reinforcement to increase my participation outside my world of "popcorn" movie entertainment. :eek

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          • #6
            Re: Harry Lime

            Unlike clary there may be hope for you yet.

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            • #7
              Re: language

              I understand why this film was made in English and truly have no problems with it. And even though English is one official language of Rwanda, I can't help but feel that it would have been a more realistic and credible film had it been made in Kinyarwanda, the true official language of Rwanda. Again, this is a minor quibble and I understand why it was made in English, to get a larger audience for an important film like this one. And I'm sure Paul (Don Cheadle's character) probably spoke English (or French) for his job. I just couldn't buy the general, soldiers, friends, relatives, guests all speaking perfect English.
              It's sort of like films based on the Holocaust and all the Nazis speak perfect English. That's always bothered me.
              But enough of my ranting, it's a powerful film worth seeing. Check it out.

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              • #8
                Re: language

                The only thing I felt that dampened the pathos of the film is that the plot stayed away from shots of the real holocaust (genocide) victims and made the film a little too prestine clean.
                The PG-13 rating for a film about genocide kind of dampened my enthusiam for seeing it. I'll catch it on DVD.

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                • #9
                  "I have no doubt that it is the hope of the film-makers that the film forces change in American lazy ass attitudes toward African genocide."

                  Whoa, whoa, whoa.
                  This was on Koffie Annon's watch. It was his people basically and the UN did nothing.
                  The UN has stood by and done nothing during the worst genocides in history while the US has gone into several countries and stopped the slaughter.

                  "Lazyass Americans" are putting their lives on the line for you everyday. It's because of them you have the freedom to make such stupid posts.

                  (the movie looks good. Cheadle is definitely right for the role.)

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                  • #10
                    Re: Whoa is right...

                    This was on Koffie Annon's watch. It was his people basically and the UN did nothing. The UN has stood by and done nothing during the worst genocides in history while the US has gone into several countries and stopped the slaughter.
                    The UN is beholden to the Security Council and the Security Council is dominated by the permanent members. The permanent members only act when profits are at risk. The US and France vetoed action in Rwanda.

                    Had the slaughter occurred someplace with abundant natural resources or the technology sector necessary to assist us in our ever continuing accumulation of wealth, close to a million Rwandans wouldn't have been slaughtered as Americans obliviously watched OJ Simpson's trial on live TV.
                    "Lazyass Americans" are putting their lives on the line for you everyday.
                    Our troops are anything but lazyasses. If it weren't for them the true lazyasses wouldn't be able to afford their 12mpg SUVs and bigscreen flatscreen TVs for watching the latest celebrity trial while we blatantly ignore the latest African genocide occurring in Sudan. Poor Sudanese don't have anything we want.
                    It's because of them you have the freedom to make such stupid posts.
                    I could be mistaken here, but I don't believe we have any imminent threats to our freedom of speech. At least not from an external aggressor. On the other hand, our right to the world's oil reserves is being threatened daily.

                    Your myopic patriotism and defense of our national ignorance is refreshing. Those blinders come in blue?

                    This film is a indictment of the entire international community and I'd urge everyone to see it. It's rare that a film makes one take stock of one's world view. This film does that.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Whoa is right...

                      "This film is a indictment of the entire international community -"

                      You should have said that from the start instead of jumping on the hate America bandwagon with a huge generalization.
                      You got a beef against our reps in the UN then say that.
                      Be specific.

                      When you lump everyone together you dishonor the men and women who HAVE done something.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Whoa is right...

                        I still think most Americans are lazyass bastards so the generalization holds. I said nothing to denegrate our troops, only to question our country's complete ignorance and apathy toward anything international. You chose to read my indictment as that of our military rather than our populace. If American citizens were up in arms over Rwanda or Sudan, the government would be forced to do something. Instead we worry about whether Scott Peterson is going to get a book deal and how Martha decorated her cell.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Whoa is right...

                          Thanks for the reviews, I'll definitely be checking this one out.

                          In line with the convo, the real issue I have is raping people of their money under the guise of a legitimate business. Thank god for the freedoms being a US citizen provide.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Whoa is right...

                            "The PG-13 rating for a film about genocide kind of dampened my enthusiam for seeing it. I'll catch it on DVD."

                            roscoe, perhaps in this case you might make an exception. don cheadle was saying in an interview that they had wanted to stamp an R rating for hotel rwanda. however, he and the director went before the panel and petitioned, showing that there was no gratuitous matter in the film and that it should be seen by everyone, and won the case. since there's more to this pg-13 rating than meets the eye, i thought you'd be interested to know this.

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                            • #15
                              Shame on the WORLD

                              Okay, saw Hotel Rwanda last night.

                              Gut wrenching.

                              The world as a whole should feel great shame.


                              Don Cheadle was excellent. Everyone was excellent, even Nick Nolte. Took me a few scenes to realize that the camera man was Joaquin Phoenix. Fantastic job by him.

                              The set up and then one scene was just chilling.
                              And it DIDN'T need to be graphic, the scene carried itself.
                              Then the one following that, showing Paul's reaction as understanding sets in......
                              I cried. I really did. Had tears just streaming down my face.

                              (I could allow myself to do that, was completely alone in the theater.)

                              I was so involved in the story that I didn't really notice much else.

                              Now, as to blame, fault, etc.
                              First it rests on those who did the slaughter. Those who do such things no matter the reason are killers with no souls and no trace of humanity. They are animals.

                              EVERY NATION stood by and did nothing. It wasn't just Americans. If one Nation, any leader, any one person had stood up and said "THIS will NOT happen on my watch" it would have been stopped.

                              The problem with the world today is that too many people are lazy-asses. Yeah, me too.
                              Movies like this should make us think.
                              Think about being better people.
                              And then we need to GO and DO.

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