HOTEL MUMBAI : Wednesday 20th March 2019.

'HOTEL MUMBAI' which I saw earlier last week, is an Australian, Indian and American Co-Produced thriller Directed, Co-Produced, Written and Edited by Aussie Anthony Maras in his feature length film debut. The film saw its World Premier screening at TIFF back in September last year, was screened at the Adelaide Film Festival in October and went on release first here in Australia last week and the US at the end of this month. Based on the 2009 Documentary 'Surviving Mumbai' by Victoria Midwinter Pitt, the film is of the 2008 Mumbai attacks where a group of terrorist attacks occurred in November 2008, when ten members of Lashkar-e-Taiba, an Islamic terrorist organisation based in Pakistan, carried out a series of twelve coordinated shooting and bombing attacks lasting four days across Mumbai. At least 174 people died, including nine of the ten terrorists involved, and more than three hundred were wounded. This film centres around the attack in particular on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The film has generated largely favourable Reviews.

The film opens up with ten disparate men travelling by dinghy along the waterways leading into the heart of the city, all the while listening intently to the ramblings of their leader as he espouses the virtues of the horrific crimes they are about to commit. They come ashore and split up into three taxis, all heading for a different destination upon which to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting populace. The first pair head to a central railway station, the next group head off to a cafe and restaurant precinct, and the next group of four head to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, always in close communication with their leader who continually reminds them of the importance of their mission against the western infidel and how they will be rewarded in the kingdom of their God.

We first see the attack on the central rail station where literally thousands of commuters are going about the daily travel routines and how many are gunned down with semi-automatic weapons on a whim. We then cut to a cafe in which an English backpacker guy and his Asian girlfriend are caught in the cross-fire of a random attack by armed gunmen and how they narrowly escape amidst the death and destruction bestowed upon other diners in that unfortunate eatery. We then follow them as they join the wave of fleeing escapees as they seek refuge in the seemingly safe harbour of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel . . . how wrong could they be?

And so as a wave of devastating terror attacks throughout Mumbai catapult the bustling Indian city of some thirteen million inhabitants into chaos, in the heart of the city’s tourist district, Islamic terrorists lay siege to the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, with ruthless and merciless abandon. The gang of four terrorists arrive undercover together with those others fleeing on foot from the restaurant precinct, and are simply granted access because of the media coverage that has now erupted around the attacks that have so far come to light. Meanwhile, we follow the routine of one Arjun (Dev Patel) who has a young daughter and another child on the way as he rides his scooter to work at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel to commence his shift as a Waiter. He receives he pre-service briefing form Executive Chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and goes to work in one of the many restaurants where the more dignified guests choose to dine.

Arriving in advance of the shooting party are wealthy Indian Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi) who checks into one of the hotel’s opulent suites with her American husband David (Armie Hammer), newborn baby and Australian nanny Sally (Tilda Cobham-Hervey) in tow. Then there is the very demanding and particular Russian businessman Vasili (Jason Isaacs) and various other reasonably high profile guests that you would expect in an establishment of this standing. When the random shootings begin in the hotel lobby, Arjun is attending to the orders of his guests in the nearby hotel restaurant. He immediately takes charge ordering everyone to get down under the tables and seek cover, not knowing for sure himself what the hell is going on outside the restaurant doors.

And so what follows is a four day long battle for survival as hotel staff who have a firmly upheld belief that the Guest is King, the guests who all succumb in some way either directly or indirectly to the acts of the terrorists, and the authorities who are at first almost defenceless against ten mere, albeit heavily armed and ruthless mortals having to wait it out for days while the special forces arrive from 800 miles away. Needless to say the tension mounts as Big Bull (the recurring voice in the ear piece of the terrorists) continues to blurt out his specific instructions and how they will be rewarded in the kingdom of their God.

What unfolds is a case of catch us if you can, as one hundred or so guests are held captive in their luxury hotel as four terrorists go about their business of gunning down remorselessly and without blinking so much as an eye basically anyone who moves, gets in their way or doesn't comply with their demands. They patrol the corridors, hallways and rooms armed to the teeth with semi-automatic weapons, pistols and hand grenades and are not afraid to use them in the name of their cause. Sally is left holding the new-born baby as Zahra and David are caught in the crossfire in the restaurant four storeys below, as is Vasili on a neighbouring table. They crouch under a table frantically trying to text Sally who is taking a shower oblivious to the scenes of murder and mayhem unfolding within the hotel. David takes it upon himself to go back to their suite to locate Sally and the baby and in the process has a close call with two of the terrorists but manages to evade them in a lift, thanks to the cover afforded by an abandoned upright food trolley.

David reunites with Sally and the baby in their suite, but then decide to join the other guests now being led by Head Chef Oberoi to a Club Lounge within the hotel that is secure and has no windows. However, in doing so he is captured by the terrorists and taken hostage, with instructions from Big Bull to later execute him and any other captured Westerners in front of all the worlds media looking on. Sally and the baby evade capture by stowing away in a broom cupboard out of sight. Arjun meanwhile is leading his restaurant patrons along the fire exit to the Club Lounge where Head Chef Oberoi has already congregated with several dozen other guests and Hotel staff. Here Vasili comforts Zahra as best he can under the circumstance having lost all contact with David, Sally and her baby.

Meanwhile the local Police force have gathered outside together with the local and international news channels. Four daring cops decide to go in, given that Special Forces are en route but their ETA is still hours away. Needless to say they come to a sticky end in a hail of bullets and a grenade, but not before one of the terrorists is shot in the leg while he tries to break into the Club Lounge having discovered that by now there are about one hundred or so guests and staff holed up inside. The terrorist shot in the leg is sent to rest up and guard the now steadily increasing number of high value largely American hostages, whom they all plan to kill. The other three in the meantime go in search of an alternative entry to the Club Lounge, whilst setting fire to random points within the Hotel. The world watches on via the news channels of explosions within the Hotel, muffled distant machine gun fire, and bursts of flame and billowing smoke from the rooftop and windows.

Before the four cops were gunned down they came across Arjun in the emergency exit stairwell. They asked him to lead them to the surveillance room and then left him safely inside. While watching the terrorist activities on a live feed via closed circuit cameras he observes them trying to gain access again to the Club Lounge via the main entry. Using a grenade to blow the doors Arjun warns Head Chef Oberoi via mobile phone that the terrorists are soon to be upon them. Oberoi orders the one hundred or so guests to use the fire escape which takes them straight out onto the street several floors below. The terrorists gain entry and begin shooting just as Oberoi ducks out of sight - the last through the emergency doors. In a mad scramble to get free, many of the guests are shot as the terrorists randomly fire at them from the stairwell above. Vasili, Zahra and a handful of other guests decide to take a detour via the Hotel Lobby only to be gunned down and taken hostage. Here Zahra and Vasili are reunited with David, bound and lying face down on the floor.

By now the Special Forces have arrived and are readying themselves to launch an attack on the terrorists. The one guarding the hostages is in conversation with Big Bull who tells him that the time has come to kill the hostages without mercy and that he will be rewarded. Systematically he begins shooting the hostages. Vasili who puts up a noble struggle as much as he is able with his hands tied behind his back, is shot and killed, then David, leaving only Zahra who begins singing a Muslim song. This perplexes the terrorist who is confused by a western woman chanting a Muslim song, and despite the demands of Big Bull to put a bullet in her head, the terrorist does not. He leaves to join his colleagues, leaving Zahra to make her escape, which she does through a window which she smashes to draw attention to her whereabouts and to avoid smoke inhalation. She is rescued and taken to safety. Meanwhile the escaping guests and staff have reached the ground floor and spill out onto the street as the Special Forces go in all guns blazing. Included in those guests is Sally carrying Zahra's baby. They reunite in the back of a bus. Arjun is also out. Without any attention he slinks off to find his motor scooter and rides home to meet his wife and young daughter, who needless to say is very relieved to see him safe and well.

The terrorists are forced back into the Hotel Lobby surrounded by the heavily armed Special Forces. It all ends abruptly for the terrorists who are by now cowering behind the Reception desk, rapidly running out of ammunition, but still in communication with Big Bull. A member of the Special Forces makes a dash for the Reception desk, tosses a grenade over the top bringing a swift end to the terrorists and their siege on the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. We subsequently learn that all but one of the ten terrorists survived, and of the fatalities over the four days half were Hotel personnel. The Hotel reopened its doors as good as new some thirteen months later, and many of that Team who survived also returned to their place of work to resume their old jobs.

'Hotel Mumbai' is a gripping true story that is well crafted and faithfully recreates real archival footage with the Directors vision, and that vision is unrelenting in its depiction of terror, wonton death and destruction at the hands of a small group of well armed committed activists who firmly believe in what they are doing. Whilst there are some action thriller cliches the film maintains the interest throughout, albeit uncomfortably so at times because the killing is so relentless and ever present. What is must be like to live through such an experience, and not knowing if your next breath will be your last, God only knows, but Director Anthony Maras pretty much takes you there offering a candid view of Hotel guests and staff, those poor unfortunates caught in the cross fire, those in the wrong place at the wrong time and of course the ten perpetrators as well, and it's not pretty and doesn't end well for many of them. The film has so far taken just under US$1M since its Release in the US last week too, and is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket.

'Hotel Mumbai' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-