Interesting, Disappointing Drama Of African Power Politics Featuring Sensational Showstopper By Forest Whitaker

Rating: 5/10 (21 October 2009)

Nicholas Garrigan is a young doctor from Scotland working in rural Uganda in the early seventies when a chance encounter with Major Idi Amin Dada, the new head of state, results in his being appointed Amin's personal physician. Garrigan enjoys his new title and prominence, but as Amin becomes more paranoid and dictatorial, Garrigan starts to fear for his own safety ...
This is for the most part a gripping drama / biopic of one of the most charismatic, intriguing and reviled figures in African politics. It has several great things going for it, the first and foremost being Whitaker's outstanding performance as Amin, which won him an Oscar. Now I don't normally agree with the Best Actor winners, but this is a definite exception; as well as being utterly convincing in manner, voice, physicality and temperament, Whitaker's depth of character is extraordinary. His Amin is comical, scary, profound, admirable, detestable, child-like, canny, fearful, a gamut of contradictions. My only complaint is that there isn't enough of him - McAvoy is good as Garrigan, enjoying Uganda's beauty and hedonism, but his character is naive and self-centred, and all too often the movie details his anguished reactions to Amin's deeds when it would be much more interesting to stay with Whitaker. The authentic locations in Kampala and the surrounding countryside look fabulous, and the movie is full of great toe-tapping music by Alex Heffes. However, in my view it has a failing, and it's the last half hour. While it's working as a drama / exposÃ©, and as a story of two very unlikely friends, it's great. Towards the end it turns into a silly unbelievable thriller, as Garrigan is recruited by the British Embassy to poison Amin, has a disastrous love affair with one of his wives, is crucified with meat hooks, and escapes on the Entebbe mercy flight. This finale is both lamely scripted and not particularly well directed, and kinda spoiled the movie for me. I guess my problem is really the Garrigan character; if the film had been just a straight biopic of Amin, focussing on the more profound issues of what he achieved for African independence and the brutality of his regime, I'd rate it much higher. It's still a must-see though, if only for the towering dynamo of a performance by Whitaker. Based on the book by Giles Foden, who appears briefly as a journalist. For another take on Amin by another great actor, check out Yaphet Kotto in Irvin Kershner's underrated (and much more accurate) 1976 TV-movie Raid On Entebbe. 5/10