The Last King of ScotlandDVD Review

Produced by: Andrew MacDonald, Allon Reich, and Tessa Ross

Directed by: Kevin MacDonald

20^th Century Fox International

Rated R

If an actor is lucky, there will come a time when a role comes along that will become the defining moment of their career. A role that transcends the actual film, and makes the actor forever linked with the particular character they have portrayed. Charlton Heston as Moses in The Ten Commandments, Yul Brynner as the Kink of Siam in The King and I, and more recently Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in Ray and Mel Gibson as William Wallace in Braveheart are all examples of actors becoming synonymous with certain roles. I believe this has now happened for Forest Whitaker with his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland.

The film, The Last King of Scotland, isbased on the novel of the same name written by Giles Foden. The film tells the story of Ugandan Dictator Idi Amin's rise to power and fall from Grace through the eyes of a fictional character Dr. Nicholas Gerrigan (McAvoy) who is an idealistic Scottish doctor trying to make a name for himself and step out of his Father's shadow.

On a whim, Dr Gerrigan goes to Uganda to provide humanitarian aid for the different Tribes living there. When after a political rally, fate seemingly brings Dr. Gerrigan and General Amin together when the new leader's is involved in a car accident and the Doctor treats his injuries. Gerrigan quickly finds himself caught up in the charismatic leader's wake as he becomes his personal physician and advisor.

Though everything seems great at first, Dr. Gerrigan soon realizes he is in way over his head as now President Amin's behavior starts to become irrational as he becomes consumed by paranoia. With the atrocities starting to pile up and Amin steadily losing favor in the eyes of the rest of the world, Dr. Gerrigan knows his only hope is flee the country.

Unfortunately, Dr. Gerrigan discovers first hand how cruel Amin can be when he falls victim to the Leader's paranoia and is tortured for an indiscretion. With the help of a fellow Doctor, Gerrigan manages to barely escape, but not before being implored to tell the world about what is happening in Uganda.

Forest Whitaker is magnificent as Idi Amin. His portrayal is so good in fact at times you think you are actually watching the former Ugandan President. It is easy to see why he won the Oscar for Best Actor. It is an absolutely brilliant performance. James McAvoy's is equally as memorable as Dr. Gerrigan, and it was a shame that he did not get an Oscar nod as well.

Director, Kevin MacDonald needs to be recognized as well. He was able to shoot most of this movie on location in Uganda which made the film seem more like a documentary. The suspense he creates at the end when Dr. Gerrigan is attempting his escape will have you on the edge of your seat. I look forward to seeing more from MacDonald in the future.

The DVD is not loaded with extras, but what it does have is equally as good as the film itself. There are the usual alternate or deleted scenes, and they do offer the option of having commentary from the director, but it is the featurettes that really stand out. The behind the scenes and Forest Whitaker featurette are both interesting and worth taking a look at.

The Last King of Scotland is not a movie for the feint of heart. It is suspenseful and visually disturbing at times; even more so when you consider that many of the atrocities are based on actual events. The acting is some of the best you will see in a movie with forest Whitaker leading the way with his Oscar winning performance. The directing and supporting cast are all superb as well which makes this an easy movie to recommend.

Special Features:

Available Subtitles: English, Spanish

Available Audio Tracks: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround)

Commentary by director Kevin Macdonald

Deleted scenes with optional commentary by Kevin Macdonald

Documentary: Capturing Idi Amin

Forest Whitaker Featurette

Fox Movie Channel Presents: Casting Session- The Last King of Scotland

Theatrical Trailer

International Trailer