Review: Hotel Mumbai

Posted on 14 March, 2019

The true story of the Taj Hotel terrorist attack in Mumbai. Hotel staff risk their lives to keep everyone safe as people make unthinkable sacrifices to protect themselves and their families. IMDb

Powerful. I have written and erased so many other words to describe this amazing film but I can’t do better than that. Lead actor Dev Patel has called it ‘An anthem to resistance’. I could not have said that better.

It is a film where you leave the cinema and you can’t talk for a while – I walked through the Canberra Centre occasionally shaking my head – I was so sad and so uplifted at the same time.

I barely breathed throughout the screening, my hands were clenched. I cried – not once but three times. I was so fully involved in the story that I gasped out loud and was truly frightened by the sound of the AK-47s every time they were fired. This film almost defies analysis – it’s visceral – it needs to be experienced and I cannot stress enough how good it is and how much you should see it. However, I’ll try to give some details.

The most important point is this – it isn’t Anglo and it isn’t Hollywood. Armie Hammer plays a great part but is not the hero, he is a father trying to help his family (and the most underrated, elegantly generous actor around – he never hogs the limelight). The real heroes are the staff of the hotel and the handful of local police that try to help. Most roles are a combination of several real people but the veracity is palpable.

Dev Patel never needs to use words – his face is so mobile and so responsive. And without too much tub-thumping, I think he is the hero we need. A brown-faced, humble worker utterly terrified by events (and with his own family to consider) who, nevertheless, tries to save lives. I love action films, I watch Die Hard at Christmas but this isn’t that sort of action film. This is a true story told in such a gripping, involving way. No matter who the audience is we can see ourselves on screen, ordinary people in a terrifying situation, who rise above their fear. They can inspire us.

The one character portrayed as he was is the head chef, Hemant Oberoi, played by Anupam Kher – a true Indian superstar.  This chef is a leader, a calm head and, the way he is portrayed, I would have followed him too. Jason Isaacs, Tilda Coham-Hervey and Nazanin Boiadi all do wonderful work in their roles as well.

This film is an Australian-Indian co-production and I think we can truly hold our heads high for the Australian involvement. Not just the work of the production teams, although Anthony Maras’ direction is superlative, but that our various film bodies got on board and supported this. It is an important story for our world, well told, entertaining and once seen, unforgettable.

Roslyn saw this film as a guest of Dendy Cinemas, Canberra.

Feature image: Facebook