Hotel Mumbai

Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, 

Jason Isaacs, Anupam Kher,

Nazanin Boniadi

"November 26, 2008
Terror Struck the Heart of India"

Cinema 11, SM Megamall

Any movie based on true events can be disturbing to watch, especially if these events involve terrorism, violence and the lost of innocent lives. "Hotel Mumbai" deals with the siege of the prominent Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai, India. Even if this horrific incident happened over 10 years ago, the anguish for those who lost loved ones as well as some survivors is still very raw.

In the beginning, we see the young men who carried out the attack, arriving in Mumbai on rubber boats. They disperse to different places where they will simultaneously unleash their evil plan. Then, we shift to the grand hotel where the staff is busy as guests begin arriving for their stay.

We are introduced to some characters like head chef, Oberoi (Anupam Kerr), a young waiter Arjun (Dev Patel), David (Armie Hammer) an American guest who arrives with his wealthy Indian wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi), their foreign nanny and their little baby. You also have a dubious Russian operative named Vasili (Jason Isaacs) as well as the rest of the hotel staff.

I believe the intent to cast some known actors as some of the characters is for us, the audience to get invested with them. The little background or information, we get about them, doesn't really matter because we know these character are based on actual people who became victims of this brutality.

There are also some scenes focused on the attackers. Young men whose orders are given by someone known as the Bull. Just a voice over their cellphones barking his commands, preaching to them, reaping them praises for the terrible acts they were about to commit and were committing.

I remember with clarity a specific scene. One of the terrorists is wounded, panicking and questioning his faith, yet the Bull prods him on. It clearly shows the vulnerability of these young men who were brainwashed, how susceptible they were. Easily influenced by a higher authority, believing their vicious acts are for the greater good. 

Of course, I am not condoning violence, their acts are inconceivable and quite barbaric. What I am trying to say is that this movie did a good job in projecting the different perspectives in this narrative. From the points of view of the terrified hotel staff, the hapless guests to these young men who perhaps didn't know any better but still chose to carry out these assaults.

It is very disturbing to see scenes of violence on screen, but it was necessary to show them. "Hotel Mumbai" was a tale which needed to be told. It didn't glorify these terrorists. More than anything it was a well crafted tribute to the victims, and the survivors - in the hope that they didn't die in vain and that this type of terrorism won't ever happen again, anywhere in the world.