Review of Hotel Rwanda

On Monday night I went to see Hotel Rwanda starring Don Cheadle, who has been one of my favorite actors for quite some time now. I first remember him as DC John Littleton on Picket Fences that quirky TV show with Tom Skerrit as the sheriff.
See this movie. It is incredible in every aspect. Cheadle's performance as hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina is brilliant, as are the performances of the supporting cast. The movie follows Rusesabagina as a suave hotel manager who meets with high-ranking military and government officials at his resort, as well as rich Europeans who come to vacation. However, the country is in turmoil as the Hutu tribe, now in power, is beginning to rev up their goal of genocide against the Tutsi tribe. Rusesabagina is Hutu, and his wife, Tatiana (played by Sophie Okonedo) is Tutsi. As the movie progresses, we see Rusesabagina's evolution from a simple man who just wants to keep his family together and alive, forced into housing more than a thousand Tutsi and Hutu refugees at his five-star resort. He struggles to maintain the integrity of the hotel out of loyalty to his employers, at the same time he fights, the best way he knows how, to keep the refugees alive.
So what makes Cheadle's performance so good? It's subtle, yet powerful. Simple, yet complex. When playing a part based on a real person, there is not a whole lot of room for artistic improvisation. Cheadle plays his part so well, he carries the audience with him on the rising flow of emotion, frustration, fear and anger that Rusesabagina was feeling. Yet, Cheadle never over-acts. His slight facial features, and his presentation of restrain are bold and striking.
In one particular scene, when all the foreign nationals who are visiting are escorted out by foreign military, Rusesabagina finds out that no one will be staying behind to protect them. As the rain pounds Rusesabagina, drenching his impecable suit, Cheadle's expression is priceless, and communicates more than any shouting, crying or cussing could ever do. And it is one of the most memorable scenes from a movie that I have seen in a very long time.
On a scale of one to five stars, I give it five. Director Terry George does a fantastic job of telling the story, not focusing on the blood and guts of the violence. George lets the audience connect with the characters and feel their horror. There are a few scenes where we see hundreds of bodies strewn across dirt roads. And one scene where we see machetes hacking down on innocent women and children, but no blood or cutting is scene, it is implied, which makes the disgust in our stomachs that much more profound.
Go see it, and tell a friend. This movie deserves a lot more attention than it is getting.