Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Hotel Mumbai Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman June 28, 2019

There's no traditional entertainment value to Hotel Mumbai. While the film evolves from a brutal depiction of random and excess terroristic violence into something of a cat-and-mouse Thriller, the movie is exceedingly difficult to watch. It's not escapist fun but rather a somber recreation of one of the world's darker days, days which seem all too plentiful in the past few decades and days that are often recreated for film. Director Anthony Maras makes his debut with Hotel Mumbai and does craft a commendably well made movie that captures both the terrible horrors, and the fleeting glimpses of hope, quite well. But the film is not in the Die Hard mold, focusing on violence presenting as entertainment. It's a somber recreation of real-life violence that, even with some of the more cinematic elements at work in the second half, cannot shake the dour experience of watching a dire real-life event play out on the screen.

Hotel Mumbai is a dramatic recreation of the violent terror attacks that took place in Mumbai, India from November 26 to November 29, 2008 which left more than 160 dead and 300 injured. The film's primary focus is on the attacks taking place inside The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. The film follows several armed extremists who carry out orders given to them via telephone by a man they call "The Bull." Amongst those caught in the crossfire are a hotel employee named Arjun (Dev Patel); newlyweds and new parents David (Armie Hammer) and Zahra (Nazanin Boniadi); the hotel's chef, Oberoi (Anupam Kher); and a Russian named Vasili (Jason Isaacs). As the carnage erupts, families are separated, loved ones are shot and killed, and survivors hole up in hopes of a rescue mission that never seems as if it will materialize.

An excess of screen violence is certainly nothing new, and the history of movie audiences flocking to witness it proves it's here to stay. But whether one considers escapist Horror films, obvious hero-versus-villain entertainment vessels, or even historical recreation of movies depicting violence with some semblance of purpose, there's something different about witnessing senseless slaughter that recreates real-world tragedy. It's difficult to praise the film even with the obvious opportunities for superlatives; the haze of violence and the stomach-churning brutality, even if it's not depicted to absolute realistic excess, is certainly the movie's defining characteristic. That's particularly true at film's start, when the terrorists gun down innocents with a horrifying stoicism that is nearly enough to turn viewers away. Anthony Maras smartly works the angles and attempts to shift the tone a bit as the film gradually follows characters angling to survive, to fight back in a few instances, to frantically and passionately try to reunite with loved ones. The film never loses its gruesome, horrific bend, but the load is lightened, if only fleetingly and minimally, in order to keep audiences invested in a story that is born and bred in senseless slaughter and never really veers too far away from the terrible reality.

Maras also works to bring reason -- whether logical or illogical reason -- to the picture. There are a number of scenes, comments, and character arcs that speak to the violence's origin, its purpose in the minds of those committing it, and reactions from individuals across a spectrum of humanity that find themselves on the other side of the gun. The film knows it must contextualize, to some degree, actions and reactions on both sides, to try and speak to the audience above the din of gunfire and the copious amount of blood spilled. Maras largely succeeds without removing focus from the atrocity. No adequate answers are ever given -- there can never be perfect sense born of absolute senselessness -- and there is no apology, either. Maras does well to explore his characters -- even, and particularly, the terrorists -- mostly from a distanced perspective, rarely bringing the audience close to show an alternate reality but never forgiving or condoning the action in any way.

Hotel Mumbai Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Hotel Mumbai was shot on video. Noise is not uncommon, with one of the first examples coming when David and Zahra arrives in their room at the hotel around the 9:45 mark in chapter two. Noise, even in fairly good light inside the hotel, remains for much of the picture, but the image is not otherwise defined by any other source or encode artifacts. The picture reveals well-rounded detailing, but like so many recent Blu-ray releases -- particularly those shot digitally -- there's not much here that really "wows" this deep into the format's lifespan, but rest assured that everything is in good working order, with skin tones, clothes, and the plush appointments around the hotel earning capably sharp, crisp and revealing textural qualities. Colors are likewise solid if not unspectacular at this stage, offering good essential shading to skin, clothes, and particularly blood, which is not in short supply. Black levels hold firm and the image maintains clarity and stability even through thicker smoke and in the aftermath of gunfire, where the screen is often bathed in a haze.

Hotel Mumbai Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hotel Mumbai's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is full and fruitful. Musical delivery is a highlight. Clarity is excellent, width extends far, surround immersion is balanced, and subwoofer support is perfectly integrated. Environmental atmospherics are terrific. Blaring horns, squealing brakes, and crowd din are nicely and fully realized with perfectly immersive surround usage, notably around the 10:30 mark during several rather long establishing shots. Gunshots inside the hotel ring out with terrifying intensity and reverb. The cracks and pops are deep, the surround usage is strong, and the sounds absolutely pull the listener into the horror. A few grenade explosions hit hard with depth determined by the distance from the image focal point. Dialogue is clear and detailed and well prioritized from the front center channel.

Hotel Mumbai Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Hotel Mumbai contains four featurettes. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Story and Cast (1080p, 2:40): Interviews are scattered amongst film clips. Interviewees cover the characters they portray and the part those characters play in the story.
• Finding the True Story (1080p, 2:16): Cast and crew discuss the real tragedy and the importance of getting the material right for its screen adaptation.
• Humanity Within Tragedy (1080p, 1:43): Director Anthony Maras and key members of his cast discuss hearing from real voices who experienced the tragedy and the importance of properly recreating the story for film.
• Real-Life Heroes (1080p, 2:24): Discussing the hotel employees who risked everything to protect the guests and one another.

Hotel Mumbai Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hotel Mumbai is a challenge to watch, particularly in it first act. The film later evolves into something resembling a Thriller, but the challenge of asking the audience to watch real-life atrocity, recreated for film, is a difficult one to overcome. The film is technically well made and earns several standout performances from actors on both sides of the guns. Universal's Blu-ray delivers impressive video and audio presentations. A few extras are included. Recommended.