More powerful and moving then even Schindler's list

Rating: 10/10 (24 April 2020)

This was a rare case for me of a piece of media being genuinely hard for me to sit through. Some of the scenes in this movie are so powerful, sad, and tearjerking. The scene where all the orphanage children show up at Paul's hotel and are informed they can't leave the country and the scene where Paul's family and some of the other refugees are almost murdered by the Hutu militia were extremely painful to watch. The movie is powerful even from the beginning with the jarring scene of a box of machetes spilling out and the Hutu militia leader bribing Paul with more half priced beer. Nick Nolte also gives a powerful performance. You can tell he really feels bad about not being able to do anything about what's going on around him. The best performance in this movie however, is Don Cheadle who plays a perfect strong straight man character as Paul who must fill several roles and a balancing act to protect everyone he can and be strong for his family. It truly is one of the most powerful and moving films I have ever seen.