Factual dictator + fictional doctor = disappointing movie cocktail

Rating: 2/10 (14 January 2008)

Why is it whenever Hollywood decide to green-light a movie on historical events, we end up with dumbed-down history instead? The Last King Of Scotland is suppose to be about Idi Amin, dictator of Uganda in to '70s, charismatic yet sick in the head. But instead of the film being from Amin's point-of-view, we get the P.O.V. of some fictional Scot that just graduated from medical school that decides to get out of Scotland, go to Uganda, serve as a doctor to the poor, hit on his boss's wife who rebuffs him, fixes Amin's hand after a roadside accident, accepts a job as Amin's personal doctor, acts as a spy for Amin, ails Amin's often minor ailments, boinks one of Amin's wives, gets the crap beaten out of him for doing so, almost dies, has numerous chances to escape but doesn't until his ex-boss's wife leaves Uganda, Amin's wife is murdered, the Brits that originally offered to help the doc turn their back on him, and doc is beaten and bloodied and sneaking away along with some hostages also leaving Uganda, all because daddy thinks his son's degree is not as good as his. Boo freakin' hoo.
So why was this film so critically acclaimed? Forest Whitaker is good in the role, but you expected more from him. Amin seemed more like a supporting character in his own film. The doctor character that hogged the film was a complete waste. Who really cares about the Scottish doc? He has no redeeming qualities, you felt no sympathy for him, you actually felt bad that he didn't die. What exactly was the purpose for this character to exist? I'd like to think that we moviegoers are capable of following a movie based on historical events without some pointless fictional character to act as a pseudo tour guide.
The only reason I give this film two stars is because of Whitaker. Was he good? Yes. Was it Oscar-worthy? I really don't know. Maybe if Amin had more screen-time, possibly. Other than that, this film is not worth your time or money.