Review by Justin Waldman for Mr. Will Wong
First-time Feature Director Anthony Maras also co-writes the Script with John Collee and tells the story of the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai that entrapped hotel guests and employees inside the Taj Hotel. The Movie simply is magnificent and will rock audiences to the core as it is also truly terrifying. The performances from the Principal Cast make Hotel Mumbai one of the most captivating yet toughest movies to watch in quite some time.
The Movie focuses on three separate intersecting storylines taking place throughout the course of the attack. The first storyline focuses on David (Armie Hammer) and his wife Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) arriving at The Taj with their son for a vacation and Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) who is their babysitter, watches their baby while they go dine at one of the restaurants in The Taj, where they run into foul-mouthed Vasili (Jason Issacs). Before this happens, the story moves to Arjun (Dev Patel) as he loses his shoes at home and shows up to work, almost getting sent home by his boss Oberoi (Anupam Kher). Once the attack reaches The Taj, David separates from his wife in order to protect his son, Zahra and Vasili stay close together, and Arjun and Oberoi try to protect all the hotel guests as well as themselves. This beautiful yet tragic story of heroism and the will to survive is haunting.
Screenwriters Anthony Maras and John Collee bring to life the horrific events of the 2008 Mumbai attack on-screen, while cutting-in real news footage to blur the lines between fiction and reality, making this real story feel that much more genuine. What makes Hotel Mumbai such an incredible Movie are the performances from this Cast who bring to life the torment these people experienced and how they bonded together to protect those who were around them. Armie Hammer and Nazanin Boniadi’s performances were akin to those of any parents, doing whatever it takes to protect their child and ensure their safety. However it was the performances of Dev Patel and Anupam Kher that demonstrated the heroism of the real people they portrayed that elevated this from the emotional rollercoaster it is to something so much more powerful than that. Dev Patel and Anupam Kher make Hotel Mumbai something truly incredible to watch.
VVS Films release HOTEL MUMBAI in theatres on Friday, March 22, 2019.
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com