I love trailers, I think they’re a small movie in their own right, however they can give away too much, especially from the ending of a movie. Anyway, we’ve talked about that before, what I want to talk about are two trailers that I saw this past week that I’m very excited about. I started these in one post but the title was far too long…and you can understand why. So…
First up is Hotel Rwanda. It’s the most recent at the Apple trailer site, and it’s a very emotive story of a people being abandoned by the West, an all too common story quite frankly and one which I hope we’re learning to change.
It stars Don Cheadle, who I think is one of the most excellent actors in Hollywood, he’s one of those natural actors, for whom you can imagine every part is so easy (I imagine it’s not, but that is how his performance comes across.) Seeing him in Family Man just last night reminded me how believeable he comes across. For comparison, someone who I feel shares this ability is Gene Hackman.
Alongside him are Nick Nolte and Joaquin Pheonix, both excellent actors, and it looks like they’ve been cast well. Nolte as a UN Peacekeeper and Pheonix as a cameraman who appears to get involved in their plight. Both these actors are from the mean and moody school of acting, Nolte moreso.
If you can shut out Mr Standard Voiceover, and the heart rendering strings, the piece looks very interesting, with Cheadles character (Paul Rusesabagina) abandoned by the West with refugees who are escaping the Ethnic Cleansing around them. It seems it may take on a Schindlers List quality at this point, where Rusesabagina goes on to try to save the people using any means necessary, abandoning the Hotel he and his wife ran.
Watching the trailer you think this could go either way. They could make it overly sentimental and concentrate too much on the one mans struggle to save everyone, or they could do justice to this true story and the terrible crimes that were committed against humanity that day. Let’s hope it’s the latter, well I do anyway.
Where can I see Hotel rwanda movie in toronto.
thanks
Keza, thanks for the comments, and this just makes me want to see it even more, and I will. To put your mind at ease, and also to try and stop any potential flaming, I’m sure that you didn’t mean that all in relation the comment above.
If you (the royal you, not you in particular) were to categorise me, should you feel the need to, I would fit into the category and I can quite honestly say I am not, and I have know only one person in my entire life who I would say is ever so slightly racist. So there are non-racists out there!
Back on topic! How do you rate their performances as actors, and has the topic been sweetened or censored for the Hollywood treatment?
I am from Rwanda and I saw the movie yesterday for the screening. It’s a GREAT MOVIE. It just confirms what we always thought and what Nick Nolte (or the character played by him)says to Paul Rusesabagina: “Nobody ‘s gonna help you.You’re Black…You’re not even a Nigger, You’re African!” I knew white people were racist but not at this point.
Anyway, please go watch this movie, you won’t regret it. I am planning to watch it again when it comes out.
Note that this picture won the People’s Choice award at the Toronto Film Festival this year. Typically the movies awarded there have been pretty good (Amelie, Crouching Tiger, American Beauty, Zatoichi, Whale Rider)
KuRt.
Everyone’s mistaking me for John! :(
Lilly, I’m off to look for that book right now, thanks.
Wow. Finally an acknowledgement of the accounts that went on in that country by Americans. I have been waiting for this. In fact, Nolte’s character sounds very similar to our own Romeo D’Allaire who recently came out with a book about his Peaekeeping experiences in Rwanda called “Shake Hands with the Devil.” He was a high ranking officer who was rendered useless when the UN failed time and time again to step in when people were being gassed off left right and centre. There is one story in the book that will break even the toughest cynic where he stood his ground one night, staying up on watch, just to protect a stray dog from being becoming some tribe’s dinner. It was the only thing he had left in his range of power thanks to the USA gov’t and the UN’s refusal to grant him more powers, help or relief. When he returned to Canada shortly after that mission, he had a complete mental breakdown on a parkbench in Ottawa. It took him a few years to snap back into reality. I would be very interested to see how much of this book makes it’s way into the movie, or if other stories like it do. Keep us informed as to the release date, John. Thanks.