Which Classic to Watch Tonight: The Last King of Scotland (Movie Review)

Which Classic to Watch Tonight: The Last King of Scotland (Movie Review)

Directer: Kevin Macdonald
Novel Written by: Giles Foden
Starring: Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney, Gillian Anderson
Genere: DRAMA / THRILLER / HISTORY
Running time: 123 minutes

The Last King of Scotland tells the fictional story of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young fictional Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda and becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The movie is based on factual events of Amin's rule.

In an incredible twist of fate, a Scottish doctor (McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world's most barbaric figures: Idi Amin (Whitaker). Impressed by Dr. Garrigan's brazen attitude in a moment of crisis, the newly self-appointed Ugandan President Amin hand picks him as his personal physician and closest confidante. Though Garrigan is at first flattered and fascinated by his new position, he soon awakens to Amin's savagery - and his own complicity in it. Horror and betrayal ensue as Garrigan tries to right his wrongs and escape Uganda alive.



The story starts with Nicholas (James McAvoy) and his traditional Scottish parents celebrating his becoming a doctor, seemingly following in the footsteps of his father. However, the young Dr Garrigan has no intention of entering the family practice and decides that anywhere (else) in the world would be more invigorating to start his medical career.

With this, Nicholas soon finds himself in Uganda, a country that badly needs his medical services and a land in the grip of changing power which he finds intriguing and through events find himself befriended by the new President, Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).

Amin takes the young doctor under his wing and before long becomes his closest advisor. This closeness develops to the discontent of the local British government watchers.

The former regime make life difficult for Amin who ruthlessly rids his country of anyone who stands in his way.

As Amin gradually reveals more of his true character to Dr Garrigan he becomes more of a threat to his very existence.

Forest, who is perhaps more known for his TV work, pulls off the most powerful and captivating on screen performance of his career as the emergent, rising and obsessively paranoid Idi Amin.

An interesting movie that was well acted, directed and photographed certainly worth seeing. I thought the plot and pace of the movie moved along quite nicely and even though it was over 2 hours long it kept my interest for the whole movie and you can definetely see why Forrest Whittaker won the best actor Oscar at the academy awards recently.

Being based on a true story often makes movies struggle to truly captivate you because you have to stay reasonably true the facts of the story so they did an excellant job to create such an entertaining movie.

MovieGooroo Rating: * * * (3 Stars)