By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Starring: Forest Whitaker | James McAvoy | Kerry Washington
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2006
Running time: 123
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455590/
Bruce says: “As Idi Amin, the military ruler of Uganda from 1971-1979, Forest Whitaker develops his character brilliantly. Like many charismatic leaders, Amin is a man who can charm anyone who crosses his path and, at the same time, instill a chilling fear. He is garrulous, affable, dangerous and seductive. Like SHOOTING DOGS (released in the USA as BEYOND THE GATES) , the excellent British film about the genocide in neighboring Rwanda, THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND presents its story through the eyes of a young, white idealist, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), who is fresh out of medical school in Scotland.
“Amin’s jeep takes a spill during an assassination attempt and Dr. Garrigan is called away from his missionary camp to tend to Amin’s minor injuries. Impressed with Garrigan, Amin subsequently summons the young doctor to his palace and requests that he become his personal physician. Amin feels Garrigan is a man he can trust. The surprised Garrigan is clearly flattered and succumbs to Amin’s adulation and charm. As Amin gradually becomes more paranoid about his safety and the security of his position, he has Dr. Garrigan fill in for him at important state meetings. The doctor becomes quite full of himself and develops a false sense of entitlement which foolishly includes sleeping with one of Amin’s wives (Kerry Washington) who is no longer in favor with the dictator.
“The political climate heats up and Garrigan finds himself in dangerous territory. Amin accuses the doctor of not keeping him informed on the perils befalling the government. ‘You should have told me,’ Amin barks. ‘I did,’ says Garrigan. ‘You should have persuaded me,’ replies Amin. Whitaker makes the exchange aound like perfect sense.
“As in HOTEL RWANDA the white protagonist escapes his fate which seems a kind of pandering to the white, middle class audiences the film might attract. If THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND has a message, it is that male ego has little to do with race and position and much to do with the folly of mankind. This film would have fared better with Africans at the helm as witnessed by gems such as THE NIGHT OF TRUTH and BAMAKO. Peter Morgan’s script is not as good as his work for THE QUEEN. The cinematography is haphazard but the editing is superb. The wonderful lasting memory, however, is all Whitaker. 4 cats”