I overcame my ADD for this one.

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2013)

I don't believe that ADD is a real disease, at least if it is it's grossly over diagnosed and mistreated. Still, I have trouble making through films longer than 90 minutes. There have been few films throughout my 33 years that have held my attention longer, but generally – even if I'm pretty captivated – I lose interest after an hour and a half. The Last King of Scotland was two hours, yet it felt like I didn't blink once.
The main character is Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) who seems to be a spoiled Scottish man. The movie opens with him having graduated medical school. Him and a number of classmates strip their clothing and jump into a river, maybe showing his wild and untamed side. The next scene involved him at a dinner with his parents. His father seems to be a disciplinarian who, while proud of Garrigan, has snide comments. I wish there would've been more depth into Garrigan's family and the relationship between him and his father, as it may relate to the way he interacted with General Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) later in the movie.
Garrigan seeks adventure before settling down to his life of medicine and picks a spot at random to volunteer. He chooses Uganda (after a failed attempt in which his finger landed in Canada) and within ten minutes of the movie starting, we are transported to this colorful African country. It's 1970' only a couple decades have passed since the end of colonial rule, although the British still have a major influence. The white Garrigan moves freely, even getting off of the bus to have sex with a woman (his sexual desire will play a huge role later). It is against this background and with a carefree attitude that Garrigan starts his volunteer time a religious organization giving shots to Ugandan children.
While driving with Sarah Merrit (Gillian Anderson), his bosses wife, he is stopped by the military. At first nervous, the pair seems to relax when they're informed the General has been in an accident and needs medical attention. They arrive at a scene where the car driving General Amin hit a cow. There are armed soldiers who look like they are no older than 18 and have little experience handling the rifles they are in command of. Garrigan helps Amin, then brazenly steals a gun from the hood of a car and puts the suffering cow out of its misery. After a moment of tenseness, Amin takes a liking to Garrigan and trades shirts- giving the young man his General's shirt in exchange for shirt with the Scottish flag.
Back at the reservation Garrigan's attempt to make out with Merrit is rejected, although there is obvious passion. Shortly after, Gerrigan gets a call from Amin's men informing him that the General would like a meeting. In Amin's office, Gerrigan is offered a job as the General's physician which, after rejecting, he eventually accepts.
The rest of the movie moves quickly, with Gerrigan becoming the General's closest and most trusted adviser. There are clues throughout the movie that Amin is a tyrant, but nothing solid. A British diplomat keeps trying to get the attention of Gerrigan, who rejects the man and his request for information concerning the General. Around this time, Garrigan becomes interested in one of the General's wives, Kay Amin (Kerry Washington); bad things await.
The General buys Garrigan a new car and immediately asks for a ride. Gerrigan accepts and on the way armed militants attempt to kill the General. They manage to get away, but the rest of his team is killed and the General suspects everyone. By this point, Gerrigan is noticing more shady happenings occurring around the General. There is one other man whom the General trusts, but one night Garrigan sees the man at a hotel talking with some white men. Due to the paranoia of the General and Garrigan, he confesses to the General what he saw at the hotel.
Days later Garrigan is convinced to attend a meeting with the diplomat and a writer for the NY Times who has been reporting on the genocide committed by the General. It turns out that number two's meeting with the white men was because they represented a pharmaceutical company. Nothing underhanded. Now the man has disappeared, which makes the nervousness and guilt of Garrigan grow exponentially. Another personal complaint happens now; in addition to wanting more information about Garrigan's relationship with his father, I would like to know about what's going through his head while things go from great to bad to horrible.
The General is going crazier and crazier and eventually kicks out all British and threatens to expel all non- state run media as well. Garrigan asks if he can go home, but is rejected. That night at a party for the General, Garrigan sleeps with Kay. They are almost caught and when Garrigan returns home his house has been ransacked and his Scottish passport has been replaced with its Ugandan counterpart. Kay and Garrigan keep the affair going. Then things get crazy.
Kay gets pregnant and while attempting an abortion, gets caught by the military. This leads to Garrigan finding her body – with arms, legs, and head cut off – at his hospital. He freaks out and, following the advice of the diplomat (his new best friend) attempts to kill the General. He is caught, tortured, and left for dead. In the end he escapes and we public opinion of the dictator quickly drops; power is lost soon after.
All in all, some beautiful performances were given. It bothers me when the main character is an African, but played by a USian- was it really that hard to find an actual African? When all is said and done though, there isn't much to complain about.