The Last King of Scotland

Starring: Forest Whittaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson
Directed by: Kevin MacDonald
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2006

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A Scottish doctor (James McAvoy) befriends Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whittaker), however, the dictator has a tendency to be extremely cruel. To fall out of favor with him, even for a few moments, could result in his immediate death.

Review:

Tim: This film is entirely about Forest Whittaker and his jaw-dropping portrayal of Idi Amin. Ironically, there is some debate whether he or James McAvoy is actually the leading actor. Not up for debate is that Whittaker is the film's biggest star, and greatly deserved his Academy Award for Best Actor. He is charismatic and menacing, humorous and frightening. It is truly a remarkable performance. Whittaker gets some help from a very strong cast. McAvoy is incredible, and these two performances together are jsut explosive. Kerry Washington is very good, and I loved seeing Gillian Anderson on the big screen again. The cast all work very well together.

I liked the story, and the play between Amin and his doctor makes for incredible drama. I did not expect this, but ti makes for an incredible film. However, this strength is also a weakness. Amin had over 300,000 Ugandans murdered during his regime. This is barely mentioned at all, as the film focuses entirely on the growing peril Amin's doctor faces. This seems a bit wrong, and I wish we could have seen more of Amin's monstrous side.

Still, this is an incredibly strong movie. A brutal dictator comes to vivid, fascinating, terrifying life through the performance of Whittaker. The most amazing movies all show us something about humanity. The Last King of Scotland reminds us that sometimes the most driven, magnetic men can fall into darkness. The devil is very charismatic, indeed. I enjoyed this movie. While the film isn't close to perfect, it features a performance that is. This is a haunting, memorable look at the life of a monster. This is a film that you need to see, and you will be entertained throughout.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Atonement, Hotel Rwanda