Great performances and wasted opportunities

Rating: 7/10 (14 December 2011)

Although the life and times of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin was as fascinating as it was disastrous for the Ugandan citizens, only two movies about Amins reign come to mind: "Raid on Entebbe", featuring the charismatic Yaphet Kotto as Amin and "Rise and Fall of Idi Amin", which was primarily an exploitation film.
Hoping for an authentic film with an impressive cast, I had high expectations for "The Last King of Scotland" since I had seen Forrest Whitaker in the trailer but left slightly disappointed.
Let me first say, Whitaker is excellent (and nobody was more deserving to win the Oscar) playing what may well become the role of his life – but people familiar with the real Idi Amin will find very little similarity between the real dictator and Whitakers performance.
On the weak sides are actors James McAvory and Gillian Anderson (who has little to do but to confirm that McAvorys character is a wife-stealer); McAvorys is given the role of Dr. Garrigan whom the script dooms to be a very shallow and unsympathetic character, often making the viewer wonder why they would root for such a protagonist.
Apart from Simon McBurney, playing a suitably slimy Stone, the movie is carried by very strong African actors like David Oyelowo or Stephen Rwangyezi but none given more than fleeting screen time. Instead, the film centres on the main characters, often forgetting to show us the real implications of Amins action: the effects it had on Uganda, its economy, social structure and its people. The viewer would like to see more about life in Kampala but only gets to see corrupt politicians and, of course, the few Ugandan wives that Dr. Garrigan seduces. Essentially it's two hours of Whitaker, a (no pun intended) rather pale McAvory and many wasted opportunities.
If you want to see an excellent performance and a thriller along the lines of "Blood Diamonds", "The Last King of Scotland" is an excellent movie. If you want to see the real Idi Amin, I recommend you documentaries like "General Idi Amin Dada: A Self Portrait".
7 from 10