Hotel Rwandareview by Mark Perry |
posted 12/22/2004
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Steven Isaac (Plugged In) says, "Without resorting to melodrama for even a second, the result of [the director's] efforts stirs an anger and grief that goes far beyond mere empathy. The horror faced and the terror felt by Tutsi and Hutu innocents are palpaple. And the onscreen plea is crystal: When atrocities are being committed in far-flung, sometimes forgotten regions of the world, the West should not ignore them. By no means is Hotel Rwanda a film children should see. But for the millions of adults and teens who decide to take it in, it's my prayer that they will hold on to those feelings of rage and sorrow much longer than Jack thinks they will."
from Film Forum, 02/17/05
Josh Hurst (Reveal) says, "It's not the performances or the direction that stay with you, but the story itself. Hotel Rwanda is a film that should be watched in Christian faithfulness, and should stir us to show greater kindness and compassion to the least of our brothers and sisters. Though it may have come out in the same year as The Passion of the Christ, this is the one 2004 film that should be required viewing for all Christian moviegoers. And the fact that this movie saw so little support from the Christian media … the same Christian media that were so eager to endorse The Passion … well, you can decide for yourself what that says about our priorities."
from Film Forum, 03/03/05
Annabelle Robertson (Crosswalk) says, "A film of great moral and cinematic value, Hotel Rwanda is a sobering reminder of just how important it is for those who have power—whether financial, physical or moral—to intervene, when great evil is taking place. If we do not, then who will? And then who will be there for us, when it is our turn?"
from Film Forum, 06/09/05
Dennis Haack (Ransom Fellowship) writes, "Please see Hotel Rwanda. It's a fine example of cinematic art, and the story it tells is one we must be sure not to forget. It is both profoundly sad and deeply redemptive, the story of one man who opened his arms when the world turned its back."
Related Elsewhere:
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