Rwanda Journal, Entry 6: Nick Nolte WTF?

Not a long post today. It's Sunday and I'm very busy with nothing in particular.

I should be studying but just downloaded the movie, Hotel Rwanda, and am watching it instead.

I guess I'm eager for some feeling of the country I'll be traveling to.   

I definitely plan to visit the Hotel Des Mille Collines when I get to Kigali if for no other reason than Hollywood has inflated my expectations to unsustainable proportions.

Also, past interns tell me it has an amazing pool.

In the film, Don Cheadle plays Paul Rusesabagina,who managed the Hotel Des Mille Collines in '94.

Rusesabagina, a Hutu businessman, used his contacts and influence to save over 1,200 people.

It is based on a true story though they made some irritating changes.

For one, they replaced Dallaire's character with someone called Colonel Oliver, played by Nick Nolte. The character is portrayed as whiny and ineffectual, which annoyed me.

I'm not really sure why they picked Nolte; I guess he's had his share of hard times too.

But he doesn't project a genuine understanding of his subject. Colonel Oliver just sort of runs around in a blue beret looking confused or upset the whole time. It's irksome.

"There were two of them, they were so mean to me."

He doesn't even have a mustache, which, let's face it, is central to Dallaire's character. It's also probably the reason Nolte never made it beyond colonel.

Anyway, it's a good movie and Cheadle does a fine job but it's not my favourite out there.

As long as they don't try to make a sequel it should be alright.

                                                *                         *                          *

Films I'm watching and would not recommend to my parents:

Sometimes in April

Shake Hands With the Devil

Hotel Rwanda

Ghosts of Rwanda, PBS Frontline documentary