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Reviews
Runaway (2005)
Low key film but beautifully made
***May contain spoilers***
I came to this relatively unknown film as a new Aaron Stanford fan (thank 12 monkeys). Echoing some of the good points raised by fellow peer reviews, the acting and cinematography was sensitive in a low key way, and largely free from sensationalism and gratuitous voyeurism; given the subject.
Much credit should also go to the people who selected the music for the film. I feel that the soundtrack really built the right mood and atmosphere, and lent the right level of ennui and beauty to the film.
I do have a slight bone to pick on the narrative, namely that 'a person with a damaged past becomes a danger to others and themselves, in spite of efforts and appearances'. Mental and emotional distress, no matter how traumatic, does not necessarily create monsters. It's important to remember that many people will recover from trauma to go on to be successful/passable people socially, emotionally, etc.
I supported the work of some serious psychotherapists working with some fairly distressed and abused young people for a year and heard many stories. But these did not happen to include cases of dissociative disorder as portrayed in this film (and revealed at the end) - where someone can block out so completely their reality and replace it with a version which omits what they have done so convincingly and consistently, whilst being such a charming, pleasant and sensitive soul in their delusional state. Usually damage reveals itself with some levels of behavioural problems, which Aaron Stanford's character seemed to lack any ones of concern.
It might be the case that this could happen, but it is so important that people know it would be the rarest of cases. It would be really sad to meet someone so likable but so irredeemable at the same time in real life. It is important that those who have experienced past abuse don't feel that others would suspect they have been made dangerous by their experience.
Still, strong and believable acting performances by Aaron Stanford, Robin Tunney, and Zach Savage.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
You forget you're in a cinema - you are in Rwanda for those 2 hours.
Hotel Rwanda The true story of a man who saved over 1000 people (many of them very young children) from slaughter. Close to a million Tutsis died because the west didn't want to risk the lives of 300 of their own - these 300 people who have histories, families, loved ones, blah blah who were so much more important and valuable apparently. Instead of sending in the requested urgent intervention to protect over a million people marked for death, the west washed their hands of these people.
Based on the footage I have seen from various documentaries on the genocide, I believe that this film is an entirely accurate portrayal of what happened (except, of course, the language would have been French, not English). Filmed on site in Kigali, the painstaking attention to detail in the film made you realise exactly what it would have felt like to witness the situation unfold right before your eyes. I feel I can understand how it's possible to not see (or believe) something like that is imminent until too late. We all "have" these reassurances in the back of our minds that this sort of thing can't happen, that humanity won't let it happen, that someone in power somewhere will make sure this kind of thing won't happen. That surely it's someone's job somewhere to ensure this can't happen.
I watched this film with my friend Lucy, who was in Rwanda as an aid worker shortly after the genocide - she's even been to the hotel itself.
But what you realise is that, in reality, you really can be abandoned by the world, even if they know FULL WELL what's going to happen to you, even if they know FULL WELL that they'll regret not helping when they should have and be so very ashamed of themselves later. Humans seem to sometimes prefer to be ashamed later than to risk their necks in the now.
You forget you're sitting in a cinema - you are in Rwanda for those 2 hours. I felt a whole spectrum of emotions - I was scared, sad, horrified, angry, I felt the tension and relief for the characters at every turn, etc as the scenes unfolded.
Lucy said it best - we were both shell-shocked when we came out. I had my tissue in my hand.