I had to watch this in History class-I think in 9th grade, and I was bored nearly the whole time. I did not get the plot. Roger Ebert loved it, and it's an 8.1 on here, but I just did not care for it. When the movie ended, our teacher asked us what we thought of it. I said that I did not really care for it. Everyone was shocked. I am the film buff-how could I be the only one in class who did not like it? Well, I am the only person I know who loves Batman and Robin....did I just destroy my credibility? Whatever. I was bored. I don't remember any of it.("Well, it was 4 years ago!") Well, I remember The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc- a way better movie, and I saw that the same year...so....

While America was transfixed by O.J. Simpson and his low-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco, the worst humanitarian tragedy since WWII was taking place in Rwanda.Don Cheadle excels as the Hutu manager of a Belgian luxury hotel who does whatever is necessary to save as many people as possible while a Hutu militia, largely incited by government radio, engage in an unrelenting slaughter of Rwanda's Tutsi minority. Cheadle and the people he is trying to protect hold out in the hotel protected only by a small contingent of UN troops led by Nick Nolte, whose number one order is to avoid a firefight with the locals. Cheadle effectively balances diplomacy and bribery to keep the Hutu warlords out of the hotel and to buy precious time for him and his people to ride out the massacre. The film accurately portrays the total failure of the "world community" to take action that could have prevented the massacre of hundreds of thousands. The UN and other organizations have detailed files and reports of this occurrence that can be read on line by anyone who is interested in this. In those files you will learn there was a similar incident there in 1970 that claimed 100,000 lives. They're real good at writing up reports after the fact, but they were useless in preventing or limiting this tragedy. That's essentially what this movie tells us as well.

Based on a true story, this is one of the hardest watching movies I've ever seen. Not even the Holocaust was portrayed in film as hard as we can see in this film, where the theme is Rwanda's genocide, by the eyes of a friendly hotel manager who just wants to protect himself and his family. They are caught in the midst of a series of political and social twists that escalate and turn into a genocidal civil war, and we can see how they suffer and fear for their lives. The way they quickly capture our sympathy turns their fears into our fears, in a powerful and very emotional way. Suddenly, those deaths also affect us and the initial sense of detachment fades. What more could a movie want? Despite this, the film isn't very graphic, we are spared the most painful scenes, although it has many shocking scenes. The film also criticizes the inability of UN to intervene there and save lives. Don Cheadle led the cast and made the biggest film of his career to date, shining in an inspired and profound performance. The environment, the scenery, the costumes... everything was meticulously thought out to reproduce the events and the realism paid of. Although unsuitable for the most suggestible, its one of the most intense films I know.

Don Cheadle perhaps did the best job of his acting career. With Joaquin Phonex playing a minor role and Gary Busse playing a supporting actor. Based on a true story, and a great film to watch. It has moments of regularity , combined with terror and a bit of comedy to have a film based on true events directed and acting gave the viewer a real sense of what went Down in Rawanda, during the countries genocide & civil war. If you like films based on real people and real events this movie is a must see.The movie does a great job of portraying a real man in Rawanda who helped both Hutu and Tutsi's alike, often putting his own life on the line for others. A very heroic man, portrayed by Cheadle who did the best acting job of his career! I give it 9 stars! Check it out if you have not seen it! The movie is a must see for those interested in movies inspired by real events and the people's actions during a real event!