A great performance from Forest Whitaker as one of Africa's most infamous dictators

Rating: 9/10 (24 July 2014)

Having recently qualified as a doctor Nicholas Garrigan wants a bit of adventure in his life so heads out to work at a hospital in a remote part of Uganda. He arrives there as everybody is celebrating the overthrow of the dictator Milton Obote by the country's new saviour Idi Amin. When Amin visits the village Garrigan is working in the young doctor goes to see him and is impressed by his charismatic rhetoric; soon afterwards he gets to impress the president when he helps after a minor car accident. He is soon invited to Kampala and is offered the post of the president's personal physician; it is the sort of offer he can't refuse. At first he enjoys life in the capital but soon he realises that Amin's regime is a threat to the country and himself but now it might be too late to get out.
This film impressively shows the brutality and madness of the all too real Idi Amin through the eyes of the fictional young doctor; James McAvoy puts in a fine performance as the latter but it is Forest Whitaker who dominates the film with his tour de force performance as one of Africa's most infamous dictators; charismatic, dangerous and quite mad in the way that comes from having total power and fearing that others want to take it from you. If you knew nothing of Uganda's history the opening scenes might make this feel like a feel good film; with our idealistic young doctor going to Africa and meeting the friendly president for saved his nation things soon turn dark though as Amin's paranoia leads his regime to violence and those who oppose him start to disappear. The film doesn't shy away from showing some of that violence and some of it is shocking and wince inducing. This means it isn't really suitable for younger viewers but older viewers looking for a serious drama should find it well worth watching.