The Last King Of Scotland

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2007)

The year 2006 has been without a doubt a outstanding year in the history of the cinema. However one of those movies "The Last King Of Scotland" is among the best out of the bunch of films that came out this year competiting against movies like "Dreamgirls","The Queen", "Children Of Men","The Flags Of Our Fathers","Pan's Labyrinth","The Departed",and so much more.
"The Last King Of Scotland",brilliantly tells the strange and gripping story of a young Scottish doctor(James McAvoy from "The Chronicles Of Narnia")who in 1971 signs up fresh out of college with the British Ministry of Health to work in a remote Ugandan village and winds up living the high life in the capital city of Kampala,clutched to the turbulent bosom of General Idi Amin(Forest Whitaker). The film is inspired by true events and it is based on the 1998 novel by Giles Foden. Amin,of course,was real,as was his jokey,buffoonish charm,and there was also a sadistic side to him as well....his regime was totally responsible for the brutal slayings of over 300,000 people leaving the country of Uganda is total chaos under his command. He also have a flair and a kitschy love of all things Scottish(He once declared himself the last king of Scotland.) Forest Whitaker's electrifying performance as Amin is one for the ages and this is an actor whose sweet,jovial features counteract his imposing physique and vise versa given two sides to a character who can be good and sadistically evil,creating of curious tension that he fully exploits here. Dr. Nicholas Garrigan(James McAvoy)however,is fictional-though he did have a real-life counterpart in a former British soldier named Bob Astles,who became one of Amin's closest advisors. Fresh out of medical school and reluctant to settle down to a life of stew,sherry,and Presbyterianism,Garrigan has fled Scotland in search of adventure in Africa,which takes him to one of the most dangerous countries in the world-Uganda. Arriving in Uganda on the day of Amin's coup,he is met by Sarah(Gillian Anderson of "X-Files" fame),the lonely,tousled wife of the only other doctor in town. Sarah represents just the sort of trouble Nicholas is drawn to-mysterious,complex,and none of his business,and his attraction foreshadows a yet more reckless dalliance.
After a chance encounter that has Nicholas doctoring up Amin's injuries from a car accident,he is offered the job of Amin's personal physician. Soon he's installed in a swanky apartment,hanging out in nightclubs,and speeding through the streets of Kampala in a Mercedes convertible. This was a movie that was shot on location in Scotland and Uganda,the film shows a side of Africa rarely depicted in the movies. Kampala's bustling energy and striking midcentury architecture reflect Nicholas' youthful optimism. But as the movie progresses,the streets becomes cast in a oppressive hush,and the beautiful,futuristic buildings start to look like symbols of the dangers of scorched-earth reinvention. Nicholas' vanity,idealism and lust for adventure make him especially vulnerable to Amin's insidious charm. He willfully ignores early signs of trouble,the better to bask in his new role as the dictator's best friend and confidant,choosing to believe he is helping usher Uganda into its iteration as a free black African nation. Director Kevin Macdonald,who basically specializes in documentaries,captures the energy and exuberance of a young nation in the throes of optimism and works into a foreboding frenzy. As for Forest Whitaker(an actor knows for his impressive work in films such as "Bird","Platoon","A Rage In Harlem","Jason's Lyric","Ghost Dog","Species","Fast Times At Ridgemont High","Good Morning Vietnam",and not to mention his directorial work in the films "Waiting To Exhale" starring Whitney Houston and "Hope Floats",starring Sandra Bullock)in the role of Idi Amin,he plunges deep into the psychology of the role,portraying Amin as a sadistic erractic personality who explodes into a galloping paranoia. His strange fascination seems to spark a regression once he is in power and it changes throughout the course of this movie. Nicholas, of course is a child as well,focused on his own thoughtless gratification. He sees the absolute madness before him and knows now what Amin has done. In one scene,one of his lovers(Kerry Washington)reminds him what they face if they're caught. Towards the end,he does escape Uganda alive with his life. A movie worth seeing.