A bit too one-dimensional for my taste

Rating: 5/10 (9 February 2007)

The fresh new president speaks to his people and promises prosperity. Apparently he's good at speeches 'cause the well educated yet naive young white doctor buys into the rhetoric even though the lovely Scully warns him of the general's agenda. The young doctor is taken in by the general as his private physician and soon drives a topless Mercedes. Of course it doesn't take long for the young doctor to realize his error in judgment by which time it is already too late to make a hasty departure. blah blah blah...Uganda deserves much better.
Again, depth and nuance is lacking in a tremendously well shot film with a brilliant and energetic performance by Whitaker who somehow doesn't seem to age at all. Clearly the movie did not care too much for historical events which is by no means a bad thing per se. Alas, as a thriller it just doesn't build up any tension, and its twists, if there were any to speak of, could be seen coming miles away. Much of the subplot could just as well been excluded and it wouldn't have made any difference.
As a drama it doesn't deliver either since they chose to randomly follow the main characters and not really focus in on either one of them. Our protagonist wasn't at all sympathetic and his actions were mostly irrational and incomprehensable. And if it had one, this movie already got its point across well before half-way.
I think I'd rather seen Ghost Dog again.
5/10