User reviews

Forest Whitaker's ferociously charismatic turn as Idi Amin so dominates this intense historical fiction that it is honestly difficult to pay attention to anything else in this 2006 political thriller. Even though he is definitively the emotional locus, he is intriguingly not the protagonist of the story. That role belongs to young James McAvoy, who plays Nicholas Garrigan, a precocious Scottish doctor who ventures to Uganda to satisfy his need for adventure after graduating medical school. By happenstance, Garrigan is called upon to help Amin with a minor sprain after his private car plows into a cow. Impressed by the young man's lack of hesitancy to take action, Amin appoints Garrigan to be his personal physician, a post that seduces the impressed doctor into the Ugandan dictator's political inner circle and extravagant lifestyle.

Scottish director Kevin MacDonald brings his extensive documentary film-making skills to the fore here, as he creates a most realistic-feeling atmosphere in capturing the oppressive Uganda of the 1970's. Helping considerably with this image are the vibrant color contrasts in Anthony Dod Mantle's cinematography and the propulsive action induced by Justine Wright's sharp editing. Screenwriters Peter Morgan (who also wrote "The Queen") and Jeremy Brock have developed a sharply delineated character study of Amin, who evolves from a magnetic leader giving hope to his people to a scarifying tyrant conducting murders on an imaginable scale (at least until the genocides in Rwanda and Darfur). It is impossible to over-praise Whitaker's towering performance here. He conveys the dictator's playfulness as well as his unmitigated rage moving from simmering to full boil with a power that is at once bravura and subtle. His relationship with the fictionalized Garrigan turns out to be the plot's essential pivot point, although the contrast between the two can be almost too extreme at times.

While McAvoy admirably captures the boyish naiveté of Garrigan, the character is drawn out in rather broad strokes that make his self-delusion all the more contrived as the story progresses. To intensify the political upheaval portrayed, the plot takes a melodramatic turn into an adulterous affair and even folds in the infamous 1976 Entebbe hijacking incident to illustrate Garrigan's increasingly precarious situation. It's all exciting and even downright brutalizing toward the end, but it also starts to feel a bit too Hollywood in execution. Kerry Washington shows genuine versatility as Amin's cloistered third wife Kay, while Simon McBurney oozes cynical suspicion with ease as a British operative. A convincingly Brit-accented Gillian Anderson makes her few scenes count as a weary clinic worker who proves to have better instincts than Garrigan. But see the movie for Whitaker's magnificent work. He is that good.

How can an actor terrify you without saying a word, without even hardly moving his face or body? I'm not sure how he does it, but Mr. Whitaker does it over and over again in this movie. And then he turns around the next minute and becomes giant hug-able teddy bear superhero. Forget all the others, this is the best horror film of the year. This movie, and his performance in particular, grab hold of you and never let go. Whitaker should win an Oscar for best actor, I've never seen a better performance in my life. Also notable is the Nicholas Garrigan character who is written and acted very skilfully to draw the (non-African) spectator into the world of Uganda and Amin. The way his character willingly "falls into" Amin's web of charisma somehow goes a long way toward mitigating the racist potential of a story about a very troubled (African black) man. The way the interplay of the two lead character's cultural backgrounds plays out on screen moves the story beyond just their personalities and into the realm of incisive socio-political analysis and critique. This movie is quite incredible, really.

Gripping, brutal and powerful, 'The Last King of Scotland' is a brilliant dramatic depiction of the life of megalomaniac Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin, perfectly portrayed by Forest Whitaker in his Oscar-winning performance as one of the greatest casting against type roles seen in film. His Amin is capricious and unpredictable, a personality that can seem volcanic one moment and vulnerable a few minutes later. A blunt and brutal tale, and one that is highly engaging from start to finish. A taut political thriller about power and corruption. Macdonald's riveting and incandescent direction caps this fictionalised drama, a truly stunning flick that remains as a highlight of film in 2006.

There have been so few pictures this year that are standouts. This movie is one of them. Much of what you will see is true, and did occur in Uganda's history. Amin's doctor, played by James Macavoy, is the main fiction in the movie, but one would think they are watching a historical event. Macavoy's character is so real. The doctor grows from a free thinking, adventure loving, womanizer, to a scared, concerned, and enlightened person. The viewer watches through Macavoys eyes as he witnesses the horrors of Amin's (Forest Whitaker's) presidency and regime.

Forest Whitaker, IS Amin in this feature. Whitaker is not the silent sometimes brooding character you remember in other films he has been in. His accent,his face, and his emotions seem to no longer be Whitaker's but Amin's. This movie will scare the viewer because of its realism, and how it builds up to a tension that is hard to endure. The visuals are not for the squeamish. Go ahead and hide your eyes during the "tough" scenes. It is still worth seeing this movie for the fast paced story, realistic drama, fascinating tale, and for the unbelievable acting. By the end of the movie the audience is exhausted, but satisfied that they saw a worthy flick.

Greetings again from the darkness. A true tour de force by Forest Whitaker ... the best performance of the year so far! Somehow Mr. Whitaker captures the madness and charm of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Amin was one of the first political rock stars. He used the media to his advantage as his regime slaughtered hundreds of thousands of his countrymen.

Also impressive is James McAvoy ("Chronicles of Narnia") who plays the dramatized Nicholas Garrigan, a young doctor who sets out on an adventure to make a difference in a small country and ends up counseling one of the most powerful madmen in history. Scottish documentarian Kevin Macdonald directs the film with only a few lapses in directness, which serve this biopic very well. Watching Amin and the young doctor immerse themselves in the shower of power is both frightening and sickening. Macdonald captures this spirit very well thanks mostly to his willingness to let his two leads do their thing.

As Amin laughs and tells Garrigan that "You are my closest adviser", I couldn't help but compare to Kathy Bates telling James Caan (in "Misery") that "I'm your number one fan". The evil and insanity is simply chilling. Whitaker is just amazing as he flips the switch from media darling to cold blooded, ruthless murderer ... and then back again. Just a terrific performance and well worth the price of admission - maybe a couple of times! Good for a laugh is the most unique version of Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee" that you have ever heard ... guaranteed! See this one for a bit of history and the site of a real monster, but also for one of the best film performances ever.

With "The Last King of Scotland," Kevin MacDonald has created a bracing, exciting and totally satisfying thriller.

Forest Whitaker gives a titanic performance as Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator who rose to power in the 1970s. James McAvoy plays Nicholas Garrigan, a Scottish physician who travels to Uganda for the adventure and wins Amin's affections, becoming his personal doctor. Garrigan enters into a moral crisis as he begins to realize the kind of man Amin is, and begins to fear for his own life as events spiral more and more out of his control.

Whitaker seizes the chance to play this larger than life character and runs with it -- I've never seen Whitaker give so convincing and transforming a performance. However, as good as he is, McAvoy impressed me more. His performance as Garrigan is not as showy, but it's much more textured and subtle, and his character has the bigger arc from start to finish. Gillian Anderson also does terrific work in a small role as a fellow doctor, who understands things about Amin and the African culture that Garrigan does not.

Unlike other recent thrillers set in African nations ("The Constant Gardener," "Hotel Rwanda"), "The Last King of Scotland" is not greatly concerned with the geo-political implications of Amin's reign. The atrocities he committed against Ugandans are given only the barest of mentions, and the film sticks almost exclusively to Garrigan and the danger he himself faces. Some may think the film is irresponsible for this reason -- that the plight of one man pales in comparison to the plight of thousands, and I can see where a criticism like that is justified. But the movie packs a powerful wallop regardless, and complaints like this seem like quibbles when up against such an entertaining movie.

Grade: A

The film is based on facts, but only in part many things are other truths invented, nevertheless a film that tells the story of the real dictator of Uganda Idi Amin in a realistic way. Assistir will not waste time.

The most frightening character in history is the man who smiles. A person who can slaughter thousands and torture even more, and be a joker, is appalling. Forest Whitaker presents Idi Amin, the horror of Uganda. He comes off as a charming, outgoing source of venom. Obviously, there are liberties taken that are there with any historical drama, but the recency of his reign give us more immediacy. It also can make it more likely to be attacked. There is no question about Amin, however.

It's 1970. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is a recent University of Edinburgh medical graduate who hates his dull prospects at home. He picks Uganda at random and dives in with both feet. He joins a clinic run by Dr. David Merrit (Adam Kotz) and his wife Sarah (Gillian Anderson). The country comes out of chaos under Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). Nicholas is taken to treat Idi Amin after a minor car crash. Idi Amin loves Scotland and takes a liking to him.

I don't like Nicholas as a character. He rubs me the wrong way for some reason. He is arrogantly clueless which is the purview of the young. Other than that, this is a fine film. The performance from Forest Whitaker is especially excellent. He plays both the lovely charmer and the violent brute.

The newly qualified Dr Nicholas Garrigan travels to Uganda to take up a post with a village mission. He arrives just after a coup puts Idi Amin in power of the country. During a visit by Amim to the village, Garrigan captures the President's attention by tending to a small injury to his hand and showing himself decisive and strong-willed. It is not long before the young Garrigan finds himself appointed as physician to the President and ensconced as one of his "closest advisors". However the initial charm shown by Amin gives way to a darker violent streak as Garrigan finds the superficial stability of the country and its leader is nothing of the sort.

Famous now for the performance that will deservedly win an Oscar in a few weeks time, this film actually doesn't have Amin as the "main" character despite him being the draw and the title character. Instead we actually spend a lot of time with Garrigan, his experiences and his problems. Of course I understand why this was the way because Garrigan is out narrative device – a composite character who acts as our way into the inner circle of Amin and allows the audience to experience him as outsiders as well. This works well in doing this but it does also introduce problems, or at least one problem. This is the fact that, as the story goes on, we find ourselves more and more focused on Garrigan (who doesn't actually exist) rather than Amin or Uganda (who did and does exist respectively). I found this a bit irritating as it got worse because I had come to the film for Amin – as, I suspect, many will have done.

Even with this though the film still works well and makes for an engaging piece. Macdonald's direction is good and his moving camera does give it the air of a documentary while still very much being a drama. Of course the thing that makes the film work is the central performance from Whitaker. The character of Amin allows him to play to his strengths and he delivers a convincingly unhinged turn, constantly menacing but also managing to have a child-like sense of fun at times and a terrifying tendency towards ruthlessness and violence. I have said before, he was brilliant in The Shield (making the whole season his own) and he is equally brilliant here. Alongside this it is no surprise that McAvoy is a bit weak by comparison. His character is not so convincing (a side effect of being a composite) and some of the narrative turns ask a lot of him – he is still good and it is not his fault that he is in Whitaker's shadow. Washington has a small role but was pretty good in it even if her presence made me wonder why they felt they had to cast an American actress, likewise Anderson but I assume that they helped get funding so fair enough. McBurney is a bit too slimy and sinister and I wasn't sure what the film was trying to say. Audiences may also recognise Oyelowo from his recent high-profile roles in HBO's Five Days and BBC's controversial Shoot The Messenger.

Overall then not a perfect film but a pretty good one. The use of Garrigan is good at getting us into the story but it is a weakness that we stick with him as the focus. The performances are roundly good but of course it is another terrific turn from Whitaker that makes every scene he is in worth seeing.

It is important to learn and understand history. This is evident, not only, with good history, but with bad history as well. Even though you really shouldn't rely on a movie for historical accuracy, at least a film reminds you about that moment, hopefully prompting you to look into it more. This is the story about the Ugandan President, Idi Amin, who rose to power in the 1970s. Idi Amin, became President of Uganda on January 25th, 1971. He is played brilliantly by Forest Whitaker. James McAvoy is cast a fictional character that becomes Amin's private physician. This film is based on a 1998 novel, by the same name, written by Giles Foden. McAvoy's character was based on real associates of Amin, but was fictionalized to further the impact of this story as a biopic film. Foden used information from different associates, research and a combination of fiction and true history. This is a normal story-telling device in film, that is seen in many film biopics.

McAvoy (Dr. Nicholas Garrigan), is a ladies man, who just graduated from medical school and for some odd reason he picks Uganda as the place where he wants to start his practice. One day, he is summoned to help Amin after a car accident. Amin immediately takes a liking to Nicholas and asks him to be his private physician and advisor. What Nicholas doesn't foresee is a future where Amin goes nuts. If you look back in history, Amin, amid all the media and chaos, was depicted as a madman. Forest Whitaker explores this scenario quite well. He shows you a lighter side of Amin, but also has the great acting skills to show you Amin's dark paranoid side. Once the film really takes off, you begin to understand how weird Amin really was. It reminds you, that it was a good thing his reign came to an end.

I also want to bring in a comparison. If you have seen Seth Rogan and James Franco's, The Interview (2014), before you have seen Last King of Scotland (2006), or vice-verse, enjoy this comparison, because it only enhances the excellent work, that McAvoy and Whitaker did in this film. In The Interview (2014), James Franco's character becomes best-buddies with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. Of course, all of this is fictional, as well as, a comedy. It has the ridiculous scenario of these two guys being good buddies, either through ignorance or craziness. Well, as you watch Franco and Randall Park (President Kim), interact in their film, think of McAvoy and Whitaker in this film, a serious film, but the results are almost, dead-on, the same. It further enhances the craziness and paranoia of Amin's character and shows, either through ignorance, stupidity or just bad luck that Dr. Nicholas got involved with this nut in the first place. None of this is more evident than at the very end, during the end credits, when director Kevin Macdonald, decides to flash up real footage of Idi Amin. He shows us the real Idi Amin's eyes and face, which solidifies the truth about how really nuts this guy was. It's all in the eyes. You need to see this film.

8.1 (B MyGrade) = 8 IMDB.

The last king of Scotland is scorcher of a film that follows the story of the horrid dictatorship that took over Uganda in the 1970s. The movie is seen completely through the eyes of young Nicolas Garrigan( James Mcavoy)a young Scottish doctor who decides he is tired of Scotland and ready to venture into another country to make a difference.

Soon after he begins his work in the town he begins a friendship with Idi Amin(Forest Whitaker)a powerful African leader who offers Garrigan a job as his personal doctor. Their developing relationship is wonderful to behold on screen, and for me was the main strength and the key point that made this movie go above and beyond.

Spoiler ahead:

Being a ill informed young adult I know close to nothing about African history, so therefore I had no idea what kind of leader Idi Amin was until the crashing scene when Garrigan figures out that he is actually a murderous dictator, who is destroying the African economy. This misfortune of mine made this particular moment in the film simply magic, and I found myself just trying to get my head around how such a loving and joyful character can actually be so violent.

End of Spoiler:

This is where I realized what a fantastic performance Forest Whitaker had actually given. He had fooled me into thinking he was someone else, he had made me think that he was actually a genuine democrat only concerned about the Ugandan people. His change in character is so superb at times too that I found myself thinking that is simply unfair. James Mcavoy although overshadowed by Forest Whitakers brilliant performance deserves credit too. His portrayal of the young Scottish doctor who is both naive and brave is fantastic, and it is great to watch the young Scotsman grow with every movie hes in.

Overall this is a simply astonishing film, telling an important story with some great performances. No criticism even worth mentioning for this movie that kept me on the edge of my seat til the very end.

It's Scotland 1970 and Nicholas is going semi- skinny-dipping in some chilly loch. With him are a bunch of other new medical graduates, Afterwards he goes home for a sherry with overly-traditional parents. Or at least until the opening credits. By then, desperate to get away, he spins the globe and ends up amid hot dusty colours and rich vibrant sounds in Uganda. (You will have to work very hard to divine any deep meaning to the title.) Nicholas is a blue-eyed boy with lots of testosterone. His hormones compete for attention with newly acquired medical skills. Out in the backwoods, he assists a lone doctor and tries to seduce the doctor's wife (played by Gillian Anderson). Yet a string of coincidences soon has Nicholas playing Personal Doctor to the new President, Idi Amin.

As Amin's regime gets under way, young Nick realises he's sold his soul as it were. He's surrounded by a life of luxury - one that is paid for with the blood of hundreds of thousands of Ugandans. Worse still, 'Daddy' Amin is in no mood to let him leave.

Expect strong performances, plenty of brutality, a tense ending, and a very nasty little scene in the airport duty free. Plus some convincingly mutilated bodies in the mortuary. A thriller 'inspired by true events', The Last King of Scotland is a competent if slightly raggedy film that sticks in the mind.

On the down side, it's shot on grainy 16mm blown up to 35mm. The overall visual effect often lacks definition to the point of fuzziness. The bigger shortfall is that it has nothing to say beyond its own basic story. It could be called yet another white-conscience-in-Africa film. We hear how the Brits helped Amin to power: it would have been an ideal opportunity to suggest that countries cannot easily be 'helped' towards a better form of government until they are ready (or have earned it themselves, and so learning to appreciate and maintain it).

The Last King of Scotland lacks the moral complexity it should have. It misses, for instance, any chance to say anything of importance about the wider world or its subject matter. Unlike Constant Gardener, Tsotsi or Shooting Dogs, it concentrates mostly on weak or corrupt characters, which can make for unsatisfying viewing. Even the moral dilemmas of the young doctor are undeveloped. We watch an action-driven plot where, unless we are totally ignorant of history, we know exactly what sort of atrocities Amin will eventually get up to. The horror has been diluted; the intellectual component edited out. For a thriller, it often leaves much to be desired and we might wonder if Director Kevin Macdonald is still too wedded to the documentary genre that his been his mainstay until now.

Idi Amin had a fixation for Scotland. He gave himself many grandiose titles including 'Last King of Scotland'. One painter depicted him as Scotland's Bonnie Prince Charlie, the 'Young Pretender', who led the fight against the English army but was defeated at Culloden. Such a comparison is odious and appears to hold no deeper meaning than was capable of the disordered mind of Amin (who saw a comparison between two countries 'seeking to free themselves from the yoke of English imperialism'). It does however flesh out the almost mythical figure of Idi Amin. The character of Nicholas would hold our interest more if we did not have to credit a university mind with such stupidity in personal relations. While The Last King of Scotland has many good features, including performances that raise it well above the average, it surely deserved more. Early on in the film, the warmth and spirit of rural Uganda shines through. That humanity might have made a more moving bookend than the cold fact of numbers killed that appears before the closing credits.

The most important element of this film is the disclaimer that precedes the action. It says that the film is BASED on real people and real events. Idi Amin was a real person; Garrigan was not. Giles Foden - on whose book this film is based - uses the fictional Garrigan as a device to reveal his portrait of Amin.

Forest Whitaker is excellent in the role but I could not get past the fact that it was an actor - a very good one - giving a performance. Try as I might but I could not find him scary. For me Whitaker's humanity shines through. What has been a strength in other performances is a weakness here. Wait until the end for footage of the REAL Amin for a truly terrifying glimpse of controlled madness.

James McAvoy too is excellent. There's glory in portraying an evil despot but little in playing his fool! In a way McAvoy's is a much braver performance than Whitaker's. In all, a very good film but beware of the blurring of lines between fiction and reality!

Now I know this film has been around for a while now and I'am ashamed that its taken me such a long time to get around and watch it, but here is my review...

Plot Summary Based on the book of the same name, written by author Giles Foden, this is the story of a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda to help local communities and ends up getting stuck right in the middle of Idi Amin's Regime.

What I thought of it Having seen old reviews of this film I did have an idea of what I was in for when I pulled it out of my collection and sat down to watch it, yet it still impressed me.

I must admit that before watching this film I did do a bit of research into the subject just to get an idea of the setting and history etc.

I am very pleased to say that director Kevin McDonald has done a very good job of getting Idi Amin's true behaviour and methods across onto film with sensational acting from Forest Whitaker. I had no doubt that Forest Whitaker would do brilliantly in this role as he has in the past but he really does give, in my eyes, an Oscar winning performance matched only by that of James McAvoy who played Amin's physician.

On a whole the acting in this film is of a very high standard as is work of the director and the whole crew. Everything from locations to editing have been done well and add a great feel to the film.

The only bad things I will say is that in the film, we don't really get a great idea of what the people of Uganda were going through at this time, the violence and such that they were living in, which I feel is a great shame as this really would have made our feelings towards Idi Amin and the countries people much stronger, whether they be good or bad.

In Summary Overall I think this is a truly brilliant film in both story and acting, the cast, specifically Forest Whitaker really knew there role well and played on this fantastically, giving great insight into the life of Idi Amin and his closest friends and colleagues.

I recommend this film to all, a definite must-see film.....7/10 Stars

Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's (Forest Whitaker) regime as seen by his personal physician called Garrigan (James McAvoy) during the 1970s , which resulted in the deaths of a half million people . At the beginning Idi Amin seems to be a good President who promises a golden age for the African nation , Uganda . Idi Amin was a charming , magnetic and murderous dictator . Amin's rule was characterized by human rights abuses, political repression, ethnic persecution, extra-judicial killings, nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement . Along the way , Garrigan to be aware increasingly his erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity . Unwilling to let him return Scotland , Garrigan decides to take some options that could mean his death . Later on , there takes place a plane hijack by Palestines . The local government supported the hijackers and dictator Idi Amin personally welcomed them . In the aftermath of the operation codename ¨Operation Thunderbolt¨ , Idi Amin issued orders to retaliate and slaughter several hundred Kenyans present in Uganda .

A compelling drama all the more gripping because being true , though the character well played by James McAvoy , is fictitious. It is packed with thrills , intense drama , tension , violence , strong loving scenes and nice interpretations . At one point, Idi Amin can be seen wearing a Glengarry , which is a Scottish military cap, with a red and white tartan ribbon around it . Amin had been in the King's African Rifles, and suffered considerable racism from British officers . The only one to show him any respect was a Scotsman, and thenceforth had an inreciprocated affection for Scotland, even considering himself a pretender to the Scottish throne . All star cast gives fine acting as well as support cast . Masterfully played by Forest Tucker as the lunatic leader who is driving Uganda into bloody ruin , he achieved a well deserved Academy Award . James McAvoy as likable doctor who must make some crucial decisions is splendid , he gives a vigorous as well as sympathetic performance . Secondary actors give excellent acting such as Kerry Washington , David Oyelowo , Simon McBurney and special mention for Gillian Anderson . The motion picture was stunningly directed by Kevin Macdonald .

Adding more details about Idi Amin life , these are the followings : Amin joined the British colonial regiment, the King's African Rifles, in 1946, serving in Kenya and Uganda . Eventually, Amin held the rank of major general in the post-colonial Ugandan Army and became its commander before seizing power in the military coup of January 1971, deposing Milton Obote. He later promoted himself to field marshal while he was the head of state. The number of people killed as a result of his regime is estimated by international observers and human rights groups to range from 100,000 to 500,000 . During his years in power, Amin shifted in allegiance from being a pro-Western ruler enjoying considerable Israeli support to being backed by Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, Zaire's Mobutu Sese Seko, the Soviet Union, and East Germany. In 1975, Amin became the chairman of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), a Pan-Africanist group designed to promote solidarity of the African states. During the 1977–1979 period, Uganda was a member of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.In 1977, when Britain broke diplomatic relations with Uganda , Amin declared he had defeated the British and added "CBE", for "Conqueror of the British Empire", to his title . On 27 June, an Air France plane with 248 passengers was hijacked, by members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the German Revolutionary Cells, and flown to Entebbe, the main airport of Uganda. Operation Entebbe was a mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces at Entebbe Airport in Uganda on 4 July 1976 . Dissent within Uganda and Amin's attempt to annex the Kagera province of Tanzania in 1978, led to the Uganda–Tanzania War and the demise of his eight-year regime, leading Amin to flee into exile to Libya and Saudi Arabia, where he lived until his death on 16 August 2003 .

Other films about this polemic figure are the followings : ¨The John Akii Bua Story: An African Tragedy¨ (2008) played by John Bosco , ¨Amin : rise and fall¨ (1982) by Shrad Patel with Joseph Olita , "Operation Thunderbolt" (1977) played by Mark Heath , ¨Raid on Entebbe¨ (1976) this version Yaphet Kotto plays Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. In the other production, "Victory at Entebbe (1976)," Julius Harris plays Idi Amin