Brilliant and powerful are two words which accurately describe this movie and the performance by Don Cheadle. Even though the Best Actor award has already been handed to either Leo or Jamie Foxx, the award should be given to Cheadle for a performance rivaling Liam Neeson's performance in "Schindler's List." However, the fate of his performance and this movie is unfortunately going to be ignored, much like the tragic events that took place in Rwanda in 1994.

"Hotel Rwanda" is about the civil war and genocide which took place between April and June of 1994 in the African country of Rwanda. After suffering from war between the ruling majority Hutu's, an African tribe in Rwanda, and the rebel minority Tutsi's, which were overthrown from power years earlier, both populations of the country had apparently signed a peace treaty with the help of the U.N.

The next day, the president of the country, a Hutu, was killed when his plane was shot down leaving the conference supposedly by Tutsi's. What happens next is one of the most horrific events to occur since the Holocaust of World War II. Roving gangs of Hutu warriors as well as government troops started roaming the country side, at the behest of the government radio, killing Tutsi people and Hutu sympathizers by machete.

By the time it was over, almost 1,000,000 Tutsi's and Hutu's were murdered in four months. At its height, the Hutu's were killing 13,000 a day, a rate higher than Nazi's on the Jew's during World War II. What was the world's response to this genocide? Nothing.

The United Nations troops, there to support the treaty, evacuated non-African tourists and businesses and left the country to fend for itself. No one helped the people, except one man. Paul Rusesabagina, the assistant manager of a Belgian run hotel, took in refugees and sympathizers into his hotel and held off the government and gangs, until the UN could take them out of there. The man is a truly modern day Oscar Schindler.

Rusesabagina was played by Don Cheadle (Ocean's 12) and just did wonderful. At no time did he take his character of the top, add unnecessary emotions to the dialogue or overact, which is so possible in a movie of this kind. His character must not show fear, because it would cause panic amongst the refugees and could have caused a massacre at the hotel. Cheadle is magnificent in this aspect.

There is a scene towards the end, when he is buying goods from one of the gang leaders, in which he is basically threatened that his family will be killed if he doesn't give up some of the Tutsi's. He is then told to go down a certain road to get back to the hotel, and his truck appears to be driving off road. When he gets out of the truck, he discovers he is driving over dead Tutsi bodies covering the road. Cheadle's actions were powerful.

His performance was well deserving of an Academy Award® nomination, as well as Sophie Okonedo (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) who played his wife Tatiana. If there was a drawback to the show, it would be Nick Nolte (The Thin Red Line.) Although this is the best performance he has had in years, if not ever, he does not keep the pace Cheadle sets. Nolte's scenes drag the film down.

Joaquin Phoenix (The Village) portrays a western cameraman for the BBC, and does a fine job. However, it could have been played by anyone and still could have been convincing. He doesn't hurt the film. I just wonder why he was in it. I can only think he either wanted a part in this movie because of its importance or the marketing campaign. Otherwise, he was there for name recognition. I don't fault him for doing this movie. I wish I could have been in this movie, but I don't appreciate the way the producers marketed him as a star in the show, when his role was insignificant.

Director Terry George who also co-wrote the screenplay with Keir Pearson, did a great job of telling a difficult story also receiving an Academy Award® nomination. I have heard of complaints that the movie did not go far enough in showing the true nature of actual event's violence, but I disagree. George did the right thing by tempering the blood which could have been shown. This movie is compelling without the blood and in this case should not be shown. Would you want to see the gas chambers in Auschwitz in "Schindler's List?" I don't think so. Kudos to George.

I think this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. My hope is everyone watch's the movie for the same reason we watch "Schindler's List." While "Hotel Rwanda" is not of the same caliber, it is as close as you can get. I advise everyone to sit down, but be prepared to think.

Brian - the Naked Gun