Hotel Rwanda (2004)

90% of critics liked it
(188 reviews)
94% of users liked it
(213,944 ratings)

Hotel Rwanda tackles one of the most horrifically ugly events in recent history, when the Hutu extremists of Rwanda initiated a terrifying campaign of genocide, massacring hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis (who had been given power by the departed Belgian colonists), while the rest of the… More Hotel Rwanda tackles one of the most horrifically ugly events in recent history, when the Hutu extremists of Rwanda initiated a terrifying campaign of genocide, massacring hundreds of thousands of minority Tutsis (who had been given power by the departed Belgian colonists), while the rest of the world looked on and did nothing. Don Cheadle stars as Paul Rusesabagina, the hotel manager at the fancy Les Milles Collines hotel in Kigali. Paul is a Hutu, and a very successful businessman who smoothly greases the wheels, making powerful connections in all strata of Rwandan life. His wife, Tatiana (Sophie Okonedo of Aeon Flux), is a Tutsi. She urges Paul to use his influence to help local Tutsis, who are being harassed and beaten with increasing frequency, but Paul will only use the political capital he's built up to help his own family, if and when they need it. Soon enough, the violence escalates, and the Hutus begin their genocide of the Tutsis. European guests and staff at the hotel are flown out of the country, and Paul is left in charge. He finds that his conscience won't allow him to watch as the innocent are slaughtered, and before long, the hotel has become a well-appointed refugee camp. Paul is seen as a traitor by some, putting his life in danger, and the predicament of his "guests" grows more precarious every day, but despite good intentions on the part of a journalist (Joaquin Phoenix) and a UN peacekeeping colonel (Nick Nolte), the rest of the world is not eager to intervene and stop the massacre. Hotel Rwanda was directed by Irish filmmaker Terry George (Some Mother's Son), who co-wrote the script with Keir Pearson. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr. 1 min.
Directed By: Terry George
Written By: Keir Pearson, Terry George
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Dec 22, 2004 Wide
On DVD: Apr 12, 2005
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
Move past the big picture, of race hatred, arbitrary maps and guilt over what the UN and the West can't or won't do, and find the human story within the inhumanity of war.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
The great strength of Hotel Rwanda is that it's not about superhuman heroism but simply about human decency.
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
The almost forgotten but all too real African genocide documented in Hotel Rwanda hits us as suddenly and as hard as it does Paul Rusesabagina, the accidental hero played so masterfully by Don Cheadle.
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
What makes the film not just harrowing but transcendent is Cheadle. He does nothing traditionally heroic. He just presents a picture of basic decency, showing how, when combined with courage, decency can result in an awe- inspiring moral steadfastness.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
A film that uses the comfort of the predictable to make horror palatable to a wider audience.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Because of the subject matter, this feels like one of those films you see because it's good for you. But it also is an extraordinarily moving drama.
Nick Rogers, Suite101.com
Like "Schindler's List," "Hotel Rwanda" shows how the madness of genocide and war converted one man's context of wealth and success from capitalism to humanitarianism. Don Cheadle honors Paul Rusesabagina by tapping his brave face and internal rage.
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
potentially fantastic material...unfortunately, [Terry] George's attempt is too mired in movie-of-the-week sensibilities...to do any justice to its subject matter
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Don Cheadle gives a beautifully restrained tour de force performance as a singular voice of reason at the epicenter of writer/director Terry George's depiction of Rwanda's outbreak of genocide in 1994 when Hutu militias slaughtered one million Tutsis with
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
This is a solid film, but it is the truth that holds the power, not the direction.
Joe Lozito, Big Picture Big Sound
The film belongs to Don Cheadle as Paul and, not surprisingly, he walks away with it.
Dan Jardine, Apollo Guide
The filmmakers want to respect history and not exploit it as so much slasher movie fodder.
CT Staff, Christianity Today
Cheadle is outstanding in his first major lead role, one where he is present during practically every important moment in this story.
, Time Out
There's a tidiness and sense of convenience in the film's stock characterisations and button-pushing plotting that detracts from its impact. The film doesn't just contrive to contain the slaughter, but also its own anger.
Dan Jolin, Empire Magazine
Who cares about overdone orchestral blasts or signpost-waving lines of dialogue when such raw, naked, painful humanity is displayed by Don Cheadle in the central role?
Philippa Hawker, Sydney Morning Herald
Cheadle has an Oscar nomination for best actor. But this isn't a grandstanding portrayal: it is a performance at the service of the work.
S. James Wegg, Film Threat
In 2004, with Darfur burning and Congo smouldering, has anything really changed?
Scott Tobias, AV Club
Showing traces of the well-meaning paternalism that dogs many Western films about Africa, Hotel Rwanda doesn't go far enough in indicting Europeans and Americans for protecting their own while failing to intervene in time to stop the mass killings.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
...disappointingly conventional [but] an important film nevertheless...
Bill Clark, FromTheBalcony
The film is an overwhelming, sad, and heartfelt achievement.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

The backstory here is genocide ... one hell of a place to start and an lmmersion into reality usually reserved for documentarys with grainy, out-of-focus footage. But the mainstory here, in glorious cinematic values, is a true action tale about one man's determination only for… More
The backstory here is genocide ... one hell of a place to start and an lmmersion into reality usually reserved for documentarys with grainy, out-of-focus footage. But the mainstory here, in glorious cinematic values, is a true action tale about one man's determination only for decency, humanity, when the world around him contradicts. Kudos to writer/director Terry George for revealing a side of humanity nobody likes, yet exists nonetheless, and to Don Cheadle's steady portrayal of an everyman in extraordinary times.
Sergio G

I have no words. Another movie based on a true story. The story worths the ticket and I never expect the great Cheadle's performance. This is what makes the movie so good. Honestly I didn't liked the directing. So flat, almost like a TV drama. I truely will never understand… More
I have no words. Another movie based on a true story. The story worths the ticket and I never expect the great Cheadle's performance. This is what makes the movie so good. Honestly I didn't liked the directing. So flat, almost like a TV drama. I truely will never understand human race in situations like the one described in Rwanda. That's the paradox. An amazing human story about inhuman acts.
Kase V

Heartbreaking and emotional movie, with a great performance from Cheadle. One of his best, in fact.
KJ P

Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina, the Milles Collines hotel manager, and he plays his heart out. With an amazing performance and a brilliant cast following him, this film shows what many true stories don't, heart. In the 90's when the Tutsi's and Hutu's are… More
Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina, the Milles Collines hotel manager, and he plays his heart out. With an amazing performance and a brilliant cast following him, this film shows what many true stories don't, heart. In the 90's when the Tutsi's and Hutu's are against one another, the Hutu's destroy their own reputation to gain more. With amazing dialogue, brilliant cinematography, a gorgeous outlook on life, and a plot that will have you in tears, Hotel Rwanda is a masterful ride!
Jeff "

Hotel Rwanda is the riveting true story of Paul Rusesesbagina. A Hutu who managed the Mille Collins hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. Russesbagina sheltered both tribes, Tutsis and Hutus. This film explores the humane side to one of the darkest periods of the 1990's. Hotel Rwanda is a… More
Hotel Rwanda is the riveting true story of Paul Rusesesbagina. A Hutu who managed the Mille Collins hotel in Kigali, Rwanda. Russesbagina sheltered both tribes, Tutsis and Hutus. This film explores the humane side to one of the darkest periods of the 1990's. Hotel Rwanda is a superbly acted film, the cast here are absolutely wonderful. I am a big fan of Don Cheadle's work but I have to say that in Hotel Rwanda, he really shines and gives possibly the best performance of his career. Hotel Rwanda is a hard film to watch due to it's subject matter and it is poignant, hopeful and by the end uplifting. This film, much like Schindler's List shows that some men are able to do the right thing. This film can be easily compared to Schindler's List, because both films are very similar. However, if you'd ask me which films are better, I'd tell you that they're equal. Both films succeed in showing the good in people when all else around them is chaos. Except for a few minor flaws, this film does a great job at portraying the atrocities. The biggest flaw of the film is really Nick Nolte's character, Colonel Oliver. Oliver never existed and the character was based on General Romeo Dallaire. I personally think they shouldn't have changed the name of Dallaire, aside from that, the film is a superb piece of filmmaking and is one of the best films about these atrocities. A film like this is important so that it puts light on such subjects that this type of senseless killing happens in other countries. Hopefully Hotel Rwanda will make people realize that this is happening, and we need to do something about it. Hotel Rwanda is a very important film, and the superb cast and direction tells this story with tremendous respect, a hard but necessary film to watch. This is a terrific film and just the fact that the events in the film really happened should stimulate your interest into watching this film. Hotel Rwanda is the best film of it's kind since Schindler's List. You cannot afford to miss this film, an important film that should be seen.
Dan S

An overrated, although still arresting story concerning the genocide that took place in Rwanda during the early 90's. Cheadle is in top form here, as a family man who is desperate to get his family out of the Hell that has grasped hold of their country. It doesn't pack the… More
An overrated, although still arresting story concerning the genocide that took place in Rwanda during the early 90's. Cheadle is in top form here, as a family man who is desperate to get his family out of the Hell that has grasped hold of their country. It doesn't pack the overwhelming emotional punch most critics raved about, but overall, still a good, solid narrative about some incredibly terrible times in a confused country.
Josh L

It didn't quite live up to my expectations after seeing the critical raves it got from everyone, but it was still pretty good. Good performances from the cast and it enlightened me to a conflict I had no knowledge about.
Anthony L

Don Cheadle's performance is brilliant in this true story set during the atrocities in Rwanda.
Khris N

An excellent film, can't believe I didnt watch it sooner! Don Cheadle's finest work and probably one of the best dramas around, nothing quite hits you in the heart than a movie about struggle and survivial in the world's most dangerous and hopless continent... Africa.… More
An excellent film, can't believe I didnt watch it sooner! Don Cheadle's finest work and probably one of the best dramas around, nothing quite hits you in the heart than a movie about struggle and survivial in the world's most dangerous and hopless continent... Africa. And it pretty much made things clear that the world cannot stand by too long while people are being massacared... and in the end, one million people were killed in Rwanda. Enter Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle) , a Hutu, who is the manager of the Hôtel des Mille Collines in Kigali, Rwanda. When the Hutu President is killed after Tutsi rebels broke and agreement, the extremist Hutu army and milita ordered the death of all Tutsi rebels and their conspirators, leading to the death of millions. Paul's wife, being a Tutsi, is found by a small group of refugees and he manages to hide them inside his hotel which i guarded by UN peacekeepers. But the handful soon turn into hundreds, as the extremists begin to "cleanse" the land of the cockroaches, and the UN powerless to help, the Western World seeing no gain from sending any reinforcements. With the foriengers and UN gone, Paul uses bribes to keep the militia at bay while his employer Mr Tillens (Jean Reno) and General Oliver (Gary Busey) try to convince the superiors and nations to assist the Rwandans....and in the midst of all this, Paul is left to manage his four star hotel and its workers, care for his scared family and protect the hundreds of refugees under his care, risking his wealth and his life to save as many as he can. A really great piece of filmmaking, the drama never stops as Paul and the world surrounding him plunges into deeper levels of despair after the other, and at times hope is almost lost, and time has run out An excellent film.... Go watch it yourself, nothing more to be said here.
familiar s

Truly heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring.
Randy T

There have been so many good things said about this film that anything I could post here would simply be redundant. I will say that I am thankful to the OETA (Oklahoma Educational Television Association) for including this very important film in their Saturday night "Movie… More
There have been so many good things said about this film that anything I could post here would simply be redundant. I will say that I am thankful to the OETA (Oklahoma Educational Television Association) for including this very important film in their Saturday night "Movie Club" lineup that is usually reserved for 'classic' films. (They sandwiched it between <i>Inherit the Wind</i> and <i>Key Largo</i>).
Emile T

Very touching film.
xGary X

Like The Killing Fields, Salvador and Schindler's List before it, Hotel Rwanda catalogues yet another example of the the human race's remarkable talent for inhumanity. Don Cheadle gives a career best performance as a hotel manager who uses all his intelligence and guile to… More
Like The Killing Fields, Salvador and Schindler's List before it, Hotel Rwanda catalogues yet another example of the the human race's remarkable talent for inhumanity. Don Cheadle gives a career best performance as a hotel manager who uses all his intelligence and guile to help save over 1200 refugees from the genocidal rampage of Hutu militants. The rest of the cast also put in the kind of committed performances actors give when they truly believe that a story must be told and although it is a little manipulative, it's never heavy handed or clumsy. I must admit, I didn't realise that the cultural segregation of the Tutsis and the Hutus was just an arbitrary division created by long gone occupying colonialism and the film gives a welcome lesson in the cause and nature of the conflict. It also serves as yet another reminder that the opulent west is very good at making worthy popular entertainment that documents such atrocities, even shedding a tear when reminded of their existence. But we never seem to do a damn thing when it actually counts.
Derek D

By far one of the most violent films I've ever personally seen and most of the people killed were innocent victims who pretty much just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It follows early 90's Rwanda as one man who runs a hotel tries to keep as many… More
By far one of the most violent films I've ever personally seen and most of the people killed were innocent victims who pretty much just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It follows early 90's Rwanda as one man who runs a hotel tries to keep as many refugees as he can alive while the entire country is being threatened in a violent war ridden with mass genocide. It shows a lot of bad...a lot of killing and suffering and doesn't hold back in it's own contempt for the countries that didn't help and/or had information wrong. So many people had to die, yet so many were also saved. Don Cheadle and Nick Nolte put in masterful performances - as always - as did Joauquin Phoenix in a short role. It's sad that events like this can only be portrayed and shown in their intensity by Hollywood and not by the news when they're actually happening.
Al S

A shocking and utterly moving drama. An absorbing, riveting and breathtaking movie. Don Cheadel gives and extroadinary and brilliant performance, proving to be more of a capable leading man other than his regular supporting roles. Nick Nolte gives a teriffic and impressive… More
A shocking and utterly moving drama. An absorbing, riveting and breathtaking movie. Don Cheadel gives and extroadinary and brilliant performance, proving to be more of a capable leading man other than his regular supporting roles. Nick Nolte gives a teriffic and impressive performance.
Robert C

A passionate film, beautifully made and acted. A horrific look at a travisty of humanity, that is sadly being repeated today in Darfur with similar disregard. Will we ever learn?
Lenny M

Scary and real, great acting.
Lady D

A powerful film with powerful performances to match. An amazing tale based on a true story, a truly enlightening story of one man's love of his family and bravery to save people whilst others were being brutally murdered. This film requires your full attention and you'd… More
A powerful film with powerful performances to match. An amazing tale based on a true story, a truly enlightening story of one man's love of his family and bravery to save people whilst others were being brutally murdered. This film requires your full attention and you'd be a harder person than me if this doesn't effect your emotions. VERDICT: A definite recommendation.
Lorenzo v

Excellent movie. Great play by the actors especially Don Cheadle as the protagonist Paul Rusesabagina. Now I know why he got nominated for Best Actor in the Oscars. This movie will be remembered. It shows the constant and repetitive errors that the human kind does time after time. It… More
Excellent movie. Great play by the actors especially Don Cheadle as the protagonist Paul Rusesabagina. Now I know why he got nominated for Best Actor in the Oscars. This movie will be remembered. It shows the constant and repetitive errors that the human kind does time after time. It is also a reminder that even if the world decided to not intervene in the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis, this could happen everywhere. Hatred, bigotry, racism and territorial preoccupations fueled this conflict but the abandonment of this part of the world after an avid exploitation by the European countries did not help either. Ultimately, the conflict depicted in this movie shows the terrible consequences of previous acts on a complete civilization. A thought provoking film that shows man's cruelty in this world and I suggest you watch it. NOW.
Curtis L

Really sad movie. I think it sucks that people just get wiped out like that, and nobody cares.