Rusesabagina uses expensive cigars, the contents of his safe and a dwindling stock of single-malt Scotch to bribe and cajole the Hutu officials that he has long entertained as hotel guests.  He also uses a lot of flattery, apologies and, when necessary, lies about how the Americans will prosecute them for war crimes.  Rusesabagina is thus able to protect the Tutsis, which include his wife (Sophie Okonedo) and three children.  He goes without sleep, makes calls to Belgium and even ventures out for food, in the middle of the night.  Bartering with an old acquaintance who is now a Hutu captain, Rusesabagina observes naked, caged Tutsi women and later, hundreds of bodies littering the roads.  So when he runs out of Scotch, he knows their time is up. 

The point is underscored early on in the film when a cynical journalist (Joaquin Phoenix) shows Rusesabagina footage of the genocides.  Although shocked at the violence, Rusesabagina is relieved, because he knows that when these images are televised, they will mobilize foreign armies.  The journalist gives him a reality check.  “If people see this footage, they’ll say, ‘Oh, my God, that’s terrible,’ and then they’ll go on eating their dinner,” he says.  Oliver echoes this when he says, “You aren’t even a n----, Paul.  You’re an African.  No one cares.  They’re not coming.”

As we all know, that’s exactly what happened.  The year was 1994 and, under the leadership of President William Jefferson Clinton, we did absolutely nothing.  The U.S. State Department, talking about the uprising on the radio, would only admit to “acts of genocide,” rather than the full-scale holocaust that was taking place – even though they knew exactly what was happening.  The media barely covered the war.  As a result, a million people were slaughtered in less than 100 days – the fastest genocide in world history. 

Rusesabagina’s story is a sobering one about the dilemma we might all face someday.  His neighborhood looks like any American suburb, and the Rwandans are exactly like us – families, neighbors, coworkers, churchgoers.  As we watch the film, we feel a creeping sense of reality – along with overwhelming shame, for having allowed these atrocities to happen.  Because he is Irish, director Terry George (“In the Name of the Father”) understands this, and he wisely focuses his film not on the entire war but on one person.  It is a powerful, devastating story.

In his first major leading role, Cheadle deserves the Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Rusesabagina.  He has captured all the African nuances – the deferential subservience in front of Europeans and Americans which in no way means stupidity, as well as the character’s brilliant cunning.  His quiet reserve – he puts on a clean shirt, tie and suit every single morning – underscores his pent-up emotions, so that when he does fall apart, in one devastating scene, we want to cry with him.  Okonedo has also captured a nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and she, too, is well-deserving.  Far removed from the brazen prostitute she played in “Dirty Pretty Things,” she is truly beautiful to watch onscreen.  We sense her devotion to her family, her fear and her courage.  Together, the pair offer a powerful message about the strength of marriage, and how it serves to empower us in the most terrible of times.