Hotel Mumbai * * *
In 2008, Mumbai in India didn't have much in the way of special forces or defence against a terrorism attack. What it did have is a lot of money, being the financial capital of India. It also had a very beautiful and highly prestigious Hotel.
A group of terrorists - being ten young men who were barely literate and highly radicalised, with a perverse understanding of their own religion - were instructed to go to Mumbai and simply kill as many people as they can in the name of Allah. Two of them started at the central station, whilst the rest of them went off to the Raj Hotel, where they walked in and started killing people with automatic weapons.
The event is true, but I do not know if this story is. I believe for the sake of drama a few liberties have been taken. Fair enough, that's cinema for you. If you want to know what really happened, never go see the film of the event.
The screenplay is based around a few guests and key members of staff at the Hotel who were quite selfless and brave in doing all they could to protect the guests whilst they waited for the special forces to arrive from New Delhi, some 800 kilometres away.
Featured among the Hotel Staff is a young waiter played by Dev Patel, the go-to guy for all things Indian or Pakistani. But he's a fine actor and always good, I'll give him that.
The featured guests are a rich American couple with their nanny and their baby. I think we were supposed to be desperately concerned for them but personally I found it hard to relate to them. Their lives just looked so self obsessed and isolated from reality by wealth.
Also featured is a rich Russian businessman (with a secret). I found him to be the most interesting and likable of the characters despite his moral cheekiness. Someone said to him "I'll pray for you". He responded with something like, "Please don't; it's people who pray that started all this madness". And then there are a couple of other lesser players.
Despite the bloody action, I didn't feel that much tension. All tears and sweat aside, sometimes it hits home and sometimes it doesn't. An unbearably tense scene is not an easy thing to create. For me it came closest when two poorly equipped policemen had a moment where they could have eliminated two of the terrorists. But it's a good and competent production, I just wished there had been a few more sweaty palm moments.
A group of terrorists - being ten young men who were barely literate and highly radicalised, with a perverse understanding of their own religion - were instructed to go to Mumbai and simply kill as many people as they can in the name of Allah. Two of them started at the central station, whilst the rest of them went off to the Raj Hotel, where they walked in and started killing people with automatic weapons.
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| Fortunately this blog isn't Trip Advisor |
The screenplay is based around a few guests and key members of staff at the Hotel who were quite selfless and brave in doing all they could to protect the guests whilst they waited for the special forces to arrive from New Delhi, some 800 kilometres away.
Featured among the Hotel Staff is a young waiter played by Dev Patel, the go-to guy for all things Indian or Pakistani. But he's a fine actor and always good, I'll give him that.
The featured guests are a rich American couple with their nanny and their baby. I think we were supposed to be desperately concerned for them but personally I found it hard to relate to them. Their lives just looked so self obsessed and isolated from reality by wealth.
Also featured is a rich Russian businessman (with a secret). I found him to be the most interesting and likable of the characters despite his moral cheekiness. Someone said to him "I'll pray for you". He responded with something like, "Please don't; it's people who pray that started all this madness". And then there are a couple of other lesser players.
Despite the bloody action, I didn't feel that much tension. All tears and sweat aside, sometimes it hits home and sometimes it doesn't. An unbearably tense scene is not an easy thing to create. For me it came closest when two poorly equipped policemen had a moment where they could have eliminated two of the terrorists. But it's a good and competent production, I just wished there had been a few more sweaty palm moments.
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