‘Hotel Rwanda’ an engrossing film

Coming soon to theaters

HOTEL RWANDA, directed by Terry George, written by Keir Pearson and George, 110 minutes, rated PG-13.

For three months in 1994, while the world turned away from Rwanda, Rwanda’s Hutu tribe armed itself with machetes and rifles, took to the streets with their collective rage, and slaughtered nearly 1 million members of the minority Tutsi tribe.

For those unfamiliar with the events, the numbers are correct – hundreds of thousands of Tutsis were butchered in their homes and in the streets in the brief span of three months, from April through July.

The situation that ignited this mass genocide is the backdrop for “Hotel Rwanda,” Terry George’s earnest film about a manager of a four-star European hotel who used his formidable diplomatic skills dealing with the elite to save more than 1,200 Tutsis and moderate Hutus from certain death.

The man, Paul Rusesabagina, is played by Don Cheadle in a career-high performance that has earned him an Academy Award nomination for best actor. He’s terrific in the role, infusing passion and energy in a movie that sometimes rises to the level of his performance, but which too often plays it too safe when it comes to capturing the horrors of the Tutsi-Hutu war.

As written by George and Keir Pearson, “Hotel Rwanda” errs in that its scenes of genocide are only suggested, not witnessed, timidly taking place off screen. This robs the movie of additional power, as does the narrative, which could be tighter, and the way important political details and events are either taken for granted or are so sketchy that the film occasionally lacks cohesion.

However, the movie finds enormous success in being an engrossing portrait of the bravery of Rusesabagina, the Hutu manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines who became a reluctant hero.

Obvious parallels exists between Rusesabagina and Oskar Schindler, whose life was explored in “Schindler’s List,” a movie whose most harrowing scenes involved the dangers of trying to outwit a mad regime. “Rwanda” follows suit, with its tensest moments involving the sly, dangerous maneuverings Rusesabagina had to craft in order to save himself, his family and all those who were counting on him.

It would be great to report that “Hotel Rwanda” has enjoyed its current rush of media attention because of interest in its story, but that’s not the case. What has pushed it to the forefront of public awareness are its two Academy Award-nominated performances, the second of which is a best supporting actress nod for the marvelous Sophie Okonedo as Rusesabagina’s equally brave, Tutsi wife, Tatiana.

Will the film find an audience? Likely not the one it deserves. As I write, the top e-mailed article on CNN.com isn’t about the war in Iraq, the possibility of war with Iran, or even Vice President Cheney’s recent casual clothing gaff at the Auschwitz ceremony in Poland. Instead, it’s about another event: A massive mound of cow manure that has been burning uncontrollably for three months in Milford, Neb.

Grade: B+

On video and DVD

SHALL WE DANCE?, directed by Peter Chelsom, written by Audrey Wells, 106 minutes, PG-13.

Peter Chelsom’s “Shall We Dance?” a remake of Masayauki Suo’s 1996 Japanese romantic comedy of the same name, is essentially the same movie with more drama, more gloss, less grace, less sophistication. It’s a small movie that has been supersized with an American sensibility.

Chelsom’s version stars Richard Gere as John Clark, a disenfranchised Chicago lawyer unhappy with life’s daily grind, unhappy that his wife, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), is too busy to spend time with him, unhappy that middle age has essentially knocked him on his rear end.

John rides the subway to work. One evening, he sees from the train a beautiful young woman (Jennifer Lopez) standing above him in the window of Miss Mitzi’s Dance Studio. She’s a vision of poise and high cheekbones, so pretty you’d swear she would freshen the city air if she didn’t look quite as miserable as John feels.

Intrigued, John decides to visit the studio to learn who she is. What he finds there is threefold: The woman’s name is Paulina, she’s as cold as a Chicago winter and his destiny, curiously enough, is to dance.

As directed by Chelsom from a script by Audrey Wells, “Shall We Dance?” is well-acted, crowd-pleasing schmaltz with no surprises. The plot is a predictable, straight shot to the end. That doesn’t mean it fails. Though it isn’t as quietly rich as the original and the ending slumps into a sleigh of suburban whining, there’s plenty to like here, particularly from its secondary characters.

Grade: B

Christopher Smith is the Bangor Daily News film critic. His reviews appear Mondays and Fridays in Style, 5:30 p.m. Thursdays on WLBZ 2 Bangor and WCSH 6 Portland, and are archived at RottenTomatoes.com. He may be reached at BDNFilm1@aol.com.