The Last King of Scotland

4/5/2019

I am the father of Africa. Based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name, this filmic version of a period of Idi Amin's presidency of Uganda is a class act - that is if you can accept it as a loose reworking of events in Amin's life? Thus those who filed in for a bona fide history lesson subsequently either got angry or plain disappointed. Propelled by Forest Whitaker's barnstorming Oscar winning perf as Amin, Last King of Scotland is riveting and fascinating from first reel to last. The political upheaval at this time in Uganda's history is presented in delicate strokes of dark depressing realisations, and also that of uneasy humour. The portrayal of Amin is most complex, part man child, part greenhorn political suitor and one heartbeat away from despotic lunacy, with Whitaker na

8/30/2022

According to Wikiquote, a “British official” once said that Idi Amin needed “things explained in words of one letter.” It is one of The Last King of Scotland’s few flaws that it assumes we need things seen through the eyes of a white Westerner. Sure, James McAvoy has some very good scenes with Forest Whitaker, the best of which is arguably the first (though in retrospect it doesn’t quite hold up to scrutiny), which ends with Amin and Dr. Nicholas Garrigan exchanging shirts (so that Amin can give Garrigan’s to his non-existent son Campbell, brother to the epileptic, and most likely also imaginary, Mackenzie) as if they’d just been in opposing sides of a soccer match. Other scenes are much less fortunate, especially the one wherein the good doctor assists the dictator in the forced rel

12/14/2024

It’s a very intense film. Forest Whitaker’s performance as Idi Amin is absolutely incredible—no surprise there since he’s one of my favorite actors. He completely commands every scene he’s in, and you can see why he won the Oscar for it. His portrayal is terrifying but also human, which makes it all the more powerful. The directing by Kevin Macdonald was solid. The movie is tightly packed with tension and drama, and it does a great job of immersing you in the chaotic world of Amin’s Uganda. The pacing can feel a bit heavy at times, but it works well for the story being told. I think the mix of real historical events with a fictional lens through the young doctor’s perspective was interesting, though it sometimes felt like the movie couldn’t decide whether it wanted to focus on Amin o