Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Anthony Maras, Icon Film Distribution, MA 123 Minutes.
Australian filmmaker Anthony Maras has really excelled in his first feature film with his meticulous direction of the terrifying terrorist attacks throughout Mumbai in November 2008 that caused considerable chaos targeting in particular the prominent Taj Mahal Hotel.
The surreal story opens with 10 members of a Pakistani extremist group arriving by boat prior to separating and beginning to randomly shoot people at a railway station then a nearby café before entering the hotel lobby.
It is at Mumbai’s magnificent hotel where the terrorists maintain constant mobile contact with Bull, their Pakistani master, and told to massacre all foreign tourists, local Indians and hotel staff.
In the meantime, as their baby is being cared for by their nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervay –‘Girl Asleep’) in their hotel room, an American husband, David (Armie Hammer –‘Lone Ranger’) is dining with his Indian wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi-‘Ben-Hur’).
Similarly, after saying goodbye to his pregnant wife Arjun (Dev Patel –‘Lion’), a Sikh waiter arrives at the Taj to report to Oberoi (Anupam Kher –‘The Big Sick’), the head chef, only to suddenly hear a series of gunshots.
As panic spreads, the remaining survivors including David’s wife and Russian businessman Vasili (Jason Isaacs-‘Fury’), seek refuge in a safe haven that Oberoi has identified within the hotel with the help of Arjun.
Unfortunately for David and Zahra they are later both captured by two of the terrorists together with other foreigners but only Zahra is spared due to the highlighting of her Islamic faith.
Having escaped from her captors it then becomes a race against time for the panic-stricken Zahra to try and find her baby who has been hidden away by her nanny Sally.
It is not too long before India’s Special Forces arrive to save those still alive and shoot the fanatical terrorists who by then have claimed some 200 victims.
Based on true events, Maras has delivered a visually gripping but realistic rendition of the horrific attacks on Mumbai, especially on the city’s main hotel, the Taj, as seen through the eyes of the major characters.
Although there are no heroes there are heroic actions shown in the convincing performances of legendary Indian actor Anupam Kher as Oberoi and Patel as they risk their lives to save as many as possible.
Despite the brutality of some scenes that may be difficult to watch, ‘Hotel Mumbai’ still has a thrilling storyline, not the mention the fact that the movie was mostly filmed in South Australia.
Vic’s Verdict: 4 ½ Stars
