Hotel Rwanda tells the story of Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), a hotel manager who in the midst of the civil conflict between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda in 1994 saved about a thousand Tutsi refugees. Since his wife (Sophie Okonedo) is a Tutsi, Rusesabagina found himself trying to save his family from the Hutus while trying to protect the Tutsi refugees by housing them in the hotel, like an African Oskar Schindler.

The film is a decent drama that touches on an important moment in African history. The Oscar nominations of Don Cheadle for best actor and Sophie Okonedo for best supporting actress were justified by their performances. Nevertheless, some of the scenes between the couple are overly melodramatic.

Nick Nolte gives a strong performance as the United Nations colonel who tries to protect the refugees and is frustrated by his inability to prevent the genocide.

The genocide and the complex political situation are depicted realistically, as is the indifference of much of the outside world. The humanitarian content of the film helps draw attention to the endless problems colonialism left behind, not only of Rwanda, but of Africa in general. For example, the Hutu-Tutsi distinction has nothing to do with race. The Belgian colonials favored the Tutsis as the natives with more “western” characteristics such as lighter skin or smaller noses. In this way, before leaving the area, the colonialists had already spread the seeds of conflict.

Technically the film is beyond reproach—but most films are these days, given adequate budgets. Its main problem is that it is detached. At times it tends to present a one-sided Tutsi view, portraying all Hutus except Rusesabagina as bloodthirsty savages.

Most of the supporting cast seems to serve a decorative role: some of the characters portrayed are two-dimensional and shallow, either completely good or completely bad.

Still, despite its drawbacks, Hotel Rwanda is an entertaining picture that deals with an important subject, and the performances are good overall.

Hotel Rwanda
Reviewer rating: ***
Directed by Terry George
Starring: Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonedo, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, Cara Seymour, Jean Reno
122 minutes

(Rating code: ***** = Outstanding; * = Don’t Bother)