Horrible, bloody war seen from the sidelines

Rating: Null/10 (4 January 2019)

It's the spring of 1994. UN peacekeepers are about to pull back from Rwanda, a nation that used to be ruled by Belgium. Now the Belgians are gone, but they have left behind a divided people, having split the natives into two groups, Hutus and Tutsis. The Tutsis used to be in power, but now it's the Hutus that have the power. And some of them hate the Tutsis with a fiery passion.
History has named this spring and its events the Rwandan genocide, so you can imagine it's not exactly a lighthearted, feel good movie. As the name implies, it focuses on a single hotel, run by Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), who took in hundreds of Tutsi civilians to shield them from the Hutu militia. The film is also known as the African Schindler's List for a reason.
It's a fascinating true story, but it also means that we don't see much of the war and genocide happening outside the hotel grounds. We see glimpses and flashes here and there, but mostly this is a movie about what war is like for those that are close to it, but not directly involved. Which has its novelty, but it also means that you don't get that emotional impact you probably went in looking for.
Then again, I have to admit it's brilliantly acted and all-around well-made. Cheadle especially gives a powerful performance. And the subject matter is heavy enough to carry the film, even if the focus is not on the heaviest possible aspect.
Worth checking out if you have a thing for historical war drama and would like to expand your experiences outside the boundaries of Europe.