Hotel Mumbai: el atentado

Recommend you to get some time and watch Mumbai Hotel. A truly great movie with an excellent International cast. And Dev Patel. Superb. Also, another great Aussie production by Screen Australia and partners. 👋👋👋

For the true accounts of exactly what happened at Hotel Mumbai (and around the city) during the terrorist attacks, watch any one of the many documentaries available. This is just a fantasy version trying to mix "Die Hard" with "hotel Rwanda". It's bad. Of course, because it was marketed to American audiences they had to have an American protagonist who has to show an act of bravery...but not enough to actually result in anything, since that would prompt people to look him up and realize there were no Americans killed during the Hotel siege. And there has to be a "western" muslim to balance out the terrorists to show "see? They're not ALL like that!" And while this character was portrayed as a hot, rich Persian chick, the reality is she was a dumpy, old turk (and her husband); both atheists/secular who quickly pretended to be muslim (the woman put her sash around her head) to show the terrorists "look! don't kill us! We're one of you!!!!" and subsequently lived.

Yes, gang, the reality is far more horrible and there really were very few heroes or likeable characters at all...save the waiter and head chef portrayed who really did help many to safety. If you have nothing else to do (i.e. are on an airplane) then fine, watch it (that's how I saw it). But don't expect much.

No one should ever expect any movie about such a carnage to follow the actual events in real time. Estimates are that nearly 60 died at the train station (shown first in the movie) and more than 30 perished at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. Although the train station event could have better represented in this film, the segue to the situation at the Taj was fairly seamless and leaves the viewer with little to ponder. What follows is nothing short of gripping, as ordinary people face extraordinary situations just to stay alive. The screenplay license taken by the film's makers shows in vivid (often horrendous) detail the scope of the attacks on innocent people by this group of terrorists. I don't think anyone who lived through this event can quarrel with the realism portrayed in the film, let alone the outcome. I found this movie to be fine cinema and I watched it twice before returning it to Red Box. I don't regret watching it a second time. Strongly recommended, but be prepared for a lot of blood and violence.

There is no heroes, every guest and staff is just a victim, and I like the way the director tell the story.

Hotel Mumbai is a really well made film that captures the horror and devastation of the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008. The film is relentless and doesn't hold back - at times it is difficult to watch and may be too much for some viewers - but it feels incredibly realistic and completely draws you in emotionally. There is not a dull moment and you will be holding your breathe the entire time. The cast all give great performances, especially Dev Patel as a kind hearted waiter. The characters are really well written and easy to become invested in, making it all the more devastating when something happens to them. Obviously the most devestating thing about the story is the fact that it actually happened. Stories like this show the worst in humanity, but they also show the best in humanity, and the power of the human spirit. It's a challenging watch that succeeds at gripping its audience until the very end.