Okay, but not as great as it could have been

Rating: 7/10 (26 September 2007)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is a young doctor who travels out to Africa to help with the famine and poverty that is ravaging it in the 1970s. But he unexpectedly catches the eye of the current ruler, Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) who takes him under his wing and, in return, asks him to be his personal psysician. At first Nicholas can see nothing wrong with the seemingly jolly and warm-hearted ruler, but like many rulers before him, Amin soon becomes corrupted by power and enforces a brutal and barbaric regeime. Trapped in a situation he can't get out of, Nicholas is left caught between a rock and a hard place.
During the late 80s and early 90s, all Forest Whitaker could enjoy were comedy black guy roles in films like Bloodsport and Blown Away but who'd have thought that by 2007 he'd be the star attraction in grade A, Oscar contenders like The Last King of Scotland? Obviously driven by determination, he's worked his way up the Hollywood food chain during his career (something that may have been made harder by the colour of his skin) and is now in a position where he couldn't be happier with what he's got.
He brings the lead role of the real-life Amin to life powerfully and with great conviction, chewing up any scenery he can get his hands on. Likewise, in the supporting role, McAvoy also can't be faulted.
Sadly, though, for me the film wasn't as great as I'd have hoped. While it brings 70s Africa to life colourfully and gets as good performances as it could have hoped out the two lead stars, it wastes a good supporting cast, including Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney and David Oyelowo and fails to form a really engaging solid narrative flow through-out. ***