Movie Review: Last King of Scotland Starring Forest Whitaker and James MacAvoy

In 1971 Idi Amin, like so many dictators before him, was welcomed by the people of Uganda with singing and celebration, each certain that finally here was a true leader for their people who would bring about the kind of prosperity each previous leader had promised. What they got proved to be far removed from their expectations.

Forest Whitaker brings the horrific reign of Amin to the big screen in his Oscar-winning portrayal of the man who would come to be known as The Butcher of Africa. The story told here is fictional, centering on the life of one Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy). Garrigan decided he wanted to do something different with his life, something that would make a difference...and finally decided on moving to Uganda to put his doctoring skills to work in a mission.

As chance would have it Garrigan is the doctor available when Amin is in a car accident and hurts his hand, sending his men in a frenzy looking for a doctor. Garrigan hits it off with the seemingly amiable new leader and is later summoned to Amin's side and offered a job as his personal physician and promises to give Garrigan the power to completely renovate the health care system in the country.

To begin with Nicholas is deeply devoted to Amin and defends him to his detractors, convinced that this charismatic man really does mean the best for his country...that is, until he is presented with evidence he cannot ignore about the thousands of people the man has had killed. Garrigan finally heeds the warnings when he finds his passport missing and a Ugandan one in its place. He's offered a deal by the British government promising him help if he can manage to remove the threat of the hypochondriac and extremely paranoid dictator...which may result in the death of the woman he loves and very likely himself as well.

I never thought Forest Whitaker would offer up what I would term a breathtaking performance, but then again I hadn't seen him in any roles prior to this one that really allowed his talents to shine. Now in this role which earned him an Oscar in 2006 Whitaker flawlessly portrays this Hitler-esque dictator who is credited with 300,000 murders during his time as the head of the country, though I've read numbers anywhere from 100,000 to 500,000 people that the man somehow decided were threats to his rule and thus eliminated with no questions asked. I think Whitaker does an exceptional job of showing how people could follow such a bloodthirsty maniac by dint of Amin's outstanding charisma and ability to deceive the masses with his uplifting words even as he stabbed the cheering people in the back and threw their lifeless bodies in the ditch.

The script and plot were thoroughly engrossing though at times very graphic...this is the kind of movie that would give my mother nightmares, children would have that many more bad dreams as a result and so should be far away when watching this movie. This is a story that, following the August 2003 death of Idi Amin, can finally be told with the full impact of the big screen...and the producers pulled out all stops to portray the horrors of his reign in living color as well as focusing on the devices used to make his closest advisors trust, and then fear, him.
I could go on and on about Forest Whitaker's performance in this film, but the other actors did a very good job as well...most of the performances were somewhat overshadowed by the leading man but I suppose when the subject is a dictator he's expected to overshadow the "lesser personalities" around him. James McAvoy did well also though it was hard to really place him in the role he was supposed to be in...he just seemed a little too young and naive to be a doctor in the middle of Africa, though that may have been purposeful. Also included in the cast are Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson (of X-Files fame) and Simon McBurney.

Overall this is a very powerful drama that really helps bring history to life, even as unbelievable as it is that such horrific things are still happening all over the world and that this was a man in recent history who was ushered into his post by the British government. Please note that the film is quite graphic in parts and so is not for younger or weak-stomached viewers. In all I'd gladly watch this film again and I plan on adding it to my personal collection.