Hotel Mumbai (2019)

Dev Patel and Armie Hammer are the two big name stars in Hotel Mumbai

On the 26th of November 2008, the Indian city of Mumbai was attacked by Muslim terrorists who struck at various tourist spots around the city with bombs and gun fire. The terrorists eventually assembled inside the majestic and posh Taj Mahal Hotel as their base and went on to terrorise the hotel staff and guests for the whole night! Hotel Mumbai vividly recount the events of that terrible day and focus on the long night spent in the sieged hotel.

I must say that I found myself totally engrossed and captivated by this superb crafted thriller. With terrorism very much alive today this serves as a stark reminder to all of us on how mindless and cruel humans can be to each other. Indeed, the violent act depicted on screen is often difficult to watch as we are all too conscience that such acts of terrorism continues to happen so often around us today. I for one, feel a bit conflicted by how I reacted to this film. On one hand, I admire how well made the movie is, the very good performances by the cast, and appreciates the way the film manages to honour the unspoken heroes during such a situation. The staff of the Taj Hotel in particular, have been portrayed as loyal and brave, by sacrificing their own safety for the safety of their guests. On the other hand, I feel guilty to be "entertained" by the depiction of other people's suffering. This is not the first time true live events on disasters have been made into movies, nor will it be the last. However, none in recent memory have given me this much sense of uneasiness as Hotel Mumbai. Perhaps its because the events here are so recent and rings too close to reality for comfort.

Hotel Mumbai plays like a classic disaster movie with its key characters well defined and how each reacts in the life and death situation. The use of local Indian as well as English language and keeping its focus simple without providing heavy political messages or giving judgement adds to the film's realism and authentic feel.

At the end of the day, I feel this movie should be watched by as many people as possible simply to remind everyone of how wrong terrorism is, and allow viewers to gain an insight in such attacks. To dismiss it simply because you object to the commercialisation of a tragic incident will deprive you from a truly well made movie and an opportunity to open your eyes to one of the major terrorist acts in recent times.