The Last King of Scotland
Director: Kevin Macdonald (Touching the Void, One Day in September)
Writers: Jeremy Brock, Peter Morgan
Novel: Giles Foden
Producers: Christine Ruppert, Charles Steel, Lisa Bryer, Andrea Calderwood
Starring: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 123 min
read my spoiler disclaimer

by Andrew James
     Forest Whitaker succeeds again in easily the role of a lifetime and it's guaranteed to garner him an Oscar nomination and very likely a win (UPDATE: Whitaker wins best actor Oscar) in the category of best supporting actor; maybe lead actor. It is simply amazing. Nothing else needs to be said; but I will anyway.

      Whtaker stars as General Idi Amin; revolutionary and brutal dictator of Uganda in the early 1970's. He rises to power to protect and rebuild the country and its people's hope for a brighter future after overthrowing the previous leader. Arguably the lead character, Dr. Nicholas Garrigan is played fantastically by James McAvoy; a young Scotsman fresh out of med school. Against his father's wishes, he travels to Uganda looking for adventure and the opportunity to really help people. Because of happenstance, he is hired as Amin's personal physician. What seems like good fortune and a great opportunity for Nicholas soon turns into a nightmare of paranoia and bloodshed.

      Though Whitaker is the one getting all of the attention, McAvoy's performance should not, and will not, go unnoticed. Especially for a relative newcomer in the world of film. He plays the part perfectly and belieavbly while nearly upstaging all of the veteran actors surrounding him. Look for bright things in McAvoy's future and a much heftier filmography in years to come.

      The film is extremely gripping and harrowing. Reminiscent of films like Hotel Rwanda and even Blood Diamond, but without quite as much brutality. This film relies much more on the allusion to the atrocities instead of actually showing them; which is actually very effective and makes the film stand out even more positively in terms of quality. That's not to say there isn't some brutal stuff in here, but the imagery isn't quite as gut wrenching as some other similar films of the past five years.

      Keep in mind that although this story revolves around Idi Amin and his regime, the film is much more from the point of view of Dr. Garrigan and indeed, is actually more about Garrigan and his conflicting ideals and his helplessness than it is about the Ugandan dictator.

      The movie is put together well, while the cinematogrpahy is grainy and "dirty" to better convey the sense of the decade. A unique African soundtrack with tracks performed by Whitaker himself add for a very unique and flavorful experience. Definitely not a "fun" movie, but certainly entertaining, thought-provoking and emotional, the final chapter in the film is gripping and nail-biting. Certain to receive many Oscar nominations, The Last King of Scotland is one of the must-sees of 2006 and beyond.

drewbacca@moviepatron.com