The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
As Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker gives "one of the greatest performances of modern movie history" (Wall Street Journal), one that the Associated Press calls "nothing short of Oscar(r) worthy." This is Amin's incredible story as seen through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scotsman who becomes the volatile leader's personal physician, due in part to Amin's unexpected passion for Scottish culture -- Amin even proclaims himself "The Last King of Scotland". Seduced by Amin's charisma and blinded by decadence, Garrigan's dream life becomes a waking nightmare of betrayal and madness from which there is no escape. Inspired by real people and events, this gripping, suspenseful stunner is filled with performances you will never forget.
As the evil Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, Forest Whitaker gives an unforgettable performance in The Last King of Scotland. Powerfully illustrating the terrible truth that absolute power corrupts absolutely, this fictionalized chronicle of Amin's rise and fall is based on the acclaimed novel by Giles Foden, in which Amin's despotic reign of terror is viewed through the eyes of Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a Scottish doctor who arrives in Uganda in the early 1970s to serve as Amin's personal physician. His outsider's perspective causes him to be initially impressed by Amin's calculated rise to power, but as the story progresses--and as Whitaker's award-worthy performance grows increasingly monstrous--The Last King of Scotland turns into a pointed examination of how independent Uganda (a British colony until 1962) became a breeding ground for Amin's genocidal tyranny. As Whitaker plays him, Amin is both seductive and horribly destructive--sometimes in the same breath--and McAvoy effectively conveys the tragic cost of his character's naiveté, which grows increasingly prone to exploitation. As directed by Kevin Macdonald (who made the riveting semi-documentary Into the Void), this potent cautionary tale my prompt some viewers to check out Barbet Schroeder's equally revealing documentary General Idi Amin Dada, an essential source for much of this film's authentic detail. --Jeff Shannon
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The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) Reviews
I highly recommend adding it to your collection.
There are superb moments such as when the dictator's eyes light up at the sight of Dr Garrigan's Scotland vest and he impishly declares his son is called Campbell in honour of his love of Scotland.
The final scenes featuring mutilated cadavers and meat hook torture is not for the faint hearted.
Forrest Whittaker deserves his oscar as the paranoid, playful despot capturing the ruthless side but also, most difficult, his playful side.
Few people are familiar with Idi Amin, not one of the 20th Century's more famous dictators, but extremely bloody with an estimated 300,000 Ugandans killed under his regime.
But the violence is structurally necessary and not at all gratuitous.
McAvoy is also superb as Dr Garrigan, a naive and cocksure young Scottish doctor who becomes embroiled in the terror, paranoia and corruption of Amin's regime, and there are masterful support roles, most notably Simon McBurney as the pompous British Foreign Office official who informs the arrogant Garrigan of his mistakes.
The Last King of Scotland is both a showcase of superb acting performances and a taught, suspensful thriller.
Whitaker justly received an Oscar for his performance. At first, Whitaker shows a gregarious and personable side of Amin with small flashes of his temper. In spite of my few criticisms, this is an incredibly solid movie and contains one of the best performances in recent memory. Amin begins the movie as the new leader of Uganda following a coup. As the story evolves, Whitaker deftly shifts his portrayal to the more paranoid, self-centered and ruthless tyrant.
The screenplay was adapted from a novel centered on a fictional character, Nicholas Garrigan, a Scotsman who becomes Amin's personal physician. While clearly done for dramatic purposes, they were a little too expected, especially the final 15 minutes. Forest Whitaker was simply remarkable as ex-Ugandan thug and dictator Idi Amin. It is well worth seeing and enjoying.
Not only does he bear an eerie resemblance to the real Amin, but he manages to create a more nuanced and deeper portrait than one might expect. Two of the great aspects of this movie: Forest Whitaker and the local flavor. While I thought James McAvoy delivered a strong performance as Garrigan, my biggest critique of the movie was ths screenplay. While I can't say that I would have noticed if the film was shot in another African country, but I can say the local casting and scenery were superb. Another fantastic aspect of the movie was the choice to film this movie on location in Uganda.
For instance, at the outset of the movie, McAvoy comes across as incredibly naive and ill-informed about the turmoil taking place in Uganda, or for that part most of post-colonial Africa at that time. I thought certain parts of the screenplay and various aspects of McAvoy's character were poorly written. Additionally, some of the elements of the plot were a bit trite and predictable.
A very real shame, too. Yes, Whitaker was brilliant, the scenery was impressive, the story of Idi Amin was ripe for telling, but this almost totally fictionalized would-be bio-pic was a letdown of major proportions. Even the presence of James McAvoy, one of my favorite young actors, didn't do much toward salvaging what this motion picture, by its closing act, had become. The Last King of Scotland had a lot of talent behind it and the first half showed that, but the promise of its beginnings was simply annihilated in its muddled second half, which was little less than a cinematic disaster. Forrest Whitaker's mesmerizingly powerful performance as one of the last century's more brutal tyrants was this movie's sole saving grace. I can't recall the last time I saw a plot go to pieces quite as badly as was the case here.
He was much better in the later half of the movie when it became apparent that he was no longer the trusted advisor, but a target of the man who claimed to be the father of his people and who claimed to love Garrigan. Forest Whitaker was both charming and terrifying as Amin. James McAvoy, an up and coming actor was good with the character that was given him. While Nicholas Garrigan never existed, he was the sum of several people who were close to Idi Amin. Whitaker deserved the Oscar he garnered. McAvoy shines in his latest roles in Becoming Jane and Wanted.
Told through the eyes of fictitious character Dr. The film was so focused on Garrigan's relationship with Amin that it didn't take a few moments to really flesh out his relationship with Kay, and if it had then her performance would have seemed richer. The film opens with Scottish Doctor Nicholas Garrigan making his way to Uganda to help care for the sick villagers but is soon persuaded by the power behind Idi Amin (who has a soft spot for the Scottish) to leave his original plans and become Amin's personal physician. One must remember that this is not a true story. Almost immediately though it shifts gears and begins its gradual decline into darker waters, submersing the audience in the stirring madness that was the reign of Idi Amin.
Nicholas Garrigan, `The Last King of Scotland' attempts to give the audience a ringside seat to the tragic events surrounding Amin's rise to power; and for the most part it succeeds very well. The film is not particularly long so it could have benefited from a few more minutes added to flesh out the entire plot. It is in those moments that the entire film comes to a traumatic and emotionally rooted climax. The final moments in `The Last King of Scotland' literally took my breath away (and single-handedly landed Whitaker his Oscar, when if the Academy would look at the less showy performance in the same scene they may have made a different choice). Many will see this film for Whitaker's lauded performance (as did I) but what you will find is a diamond in the rough; a truly outstanding fictional biopic that tantalizes every one of our senses. The film is strengthened by the phenomenal performances by the two male leads, both Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy delivering career best performances. This decision proved to be devastating for Garrigan, but that realization would come at a time that was almost too late for him.
His performance garnered him award after award (a sweep to be exact) and finally got him recognized among his peers. But, that is really just a small issue, not anything that should detract anyone from seeing this film. Yes, they are two different people in the end, but he similarities are obvious). As Whitaker slips Amin into savagery, McAvoy is slowing peeling away Garrigan's sanity to unveil a man scarred by his surroundings and paralyzed by his newfound predicament. (His performance reminds me a bit of Yul Brenner's Oscar winning performance in `The King and I', a portrayal of a man savage by nature who tries to justify his actions with a façade of kindness. I was a little let down by Kerry Washington, not because her performance was lacking (it was quick good) but because the script didn't allow her to become someone truly real to us.
It is a fictitious account of historical events. His performance is extraordinary, but to be honest he is not as good as McAvoy who fleshes out Garrigan with expert precision, creating a character who is complete and real. `The Last King of Scotland' opens almost childishly, kind of amateurish, as if it was going to make light of a very serious subject. As Garrigan becomes more knowledgeable of the truth behind Amin's reign, his initial admiration turns to disgust as he realizes the weight of the situation he now finds himself. Garrigan finds himself acquainted with those in Amin's circle, including one of his wives named Kay with whom he starts a very dangerous relationship. Whitaker delves into the real man that is Idi Amin, the brutality festering beneath his surface always showing through in his eyes. You can liken it to `Titanic', for it is a fictional story woven around a foundation of actual events.
That is really the only fault I have with the script also, that it fails to fully invest itself in the entirety of Garrigan's surroundings, targeting his interactions with Amin and allowing the rest of the events around him to become mere side-points.
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