Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Kinyarwanda


Kinyarwanda ranks among the best films I’ve seen this year.

This is a film about the Rwandan genocide.  Unlike the fine Hotel Rwanda, which uses the story of one courageous man as a device to explore the horror, Kinyarwanda tells overlapping and intersecting stories about people on all sides of the genocide.  And unlike CrashKinyarwanda handles its transitions and reveals with delicacy and grace.  Like Munyurangabo, this is a film that rewards repeat viewing, though it’s so heartbreaking that I understand should anyone wish to forego the experience.

It’s easy to write a page about the failings of a film like John Carter, but it’s hard to write more than a few paragraphs about a film like this.  I can only tell you that it’s perfect and that it moved me.  I can only press it into your hands, implore you to overcome your hesitation if it isn’t “your kind of movie,” and ask you to trust me.  Kinyarwanda is powerful and brilliant and entirely successful in every way.  Trust me.

No comments: