:
Eddie Stacey,
Eddie Stacey,
Forest Whitaker,
more...
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Kevin MacDonald,
Raymond Kalisa,
Sande Philip Sengi,
more...
see all cast/crew...
: 
: 20th Century Fox
: Drama, Suspense/Thriller, Politics and Social Issues, Biopics
: 123 min.
: English, Spanish
: English, Spanish, French
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Director Kevin MacDonald teams with screenwriter Jeremy Brock to adapt Giles Foden's novel detailing the brutal reign of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin as seen through the eyes of his personal physician. James McAvoy stars as the doctor who slowly realizes that he is trapped in an inescapable nightmare, and Forest Whitaker assumes the role of the notorious despot. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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| Whose story is this?
by SBarnett
April 30, 2007 - 8:57 AM PDT
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4 out of 4 members found this review helpful
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| Forest Whitaker won a richly deserved Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," and his performance is the biggest reason to watch the film. Curiously, the DVD cover does not picture Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, ably played by James McAvoy, a (fictitious) young doctor from Scotland who becomes Amin's personal physician--curious because Dr. Garrigan is the main character in the film. In fact, the film is his story, not the story of Amin. The point of view is consistently Garrigan's; the story begins and ends with him, and the action revolves around where he goes and what he does. There's nothing wrong with this. Giles Foden, who wrote the novel on which the film is based, had a story to tell and told it the best way he could. And there is depth in that story. Garrigan is a vain, insecure, naive young man who is at the same time bold and ruthless in his self-absorption--very much like Amin himself. The tension between Scotsmen and Englishmen is carefully shown, as is Britain's role in creating, installing, and removing Amin. The film takes pains to present Amin as more than a stereotype--thanks to Whitaker's towering performance. Even if elements of this coming of age thriller press our credulity (and take liberties with the facts), this is OK, since events in reality are often stranger than anyone could make up. And the film largely glosses over the internal politics of Uganda, the forces that put Amin in power, and so on. I can go with all of this. What bothers me about this film is that Garrigan's character seems too small a vessel to carry it, especially in the shadow of Amin. Yet what a shadow it is. Well worth watching. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.29)
83 Votes
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