Frightening realism

Rating: 6/10 (5 February 2007)

Although I was certainly glued to the screen and it had my attention so did the last shark I saw and I wasn't very comfortable with the shark either.The acting was great and the locations and costumes were very believable but apparently it wasn't meant to leave me with any sort of a comfortable feeling or a feeling that the soul somehow triumphs over the sort of adversity of being an impoverished people living under an evil dictatorship.Their lives are mostly tragic it seems. The film depicts a realistic depiction of how the main character gets seduced by the dark and powerful side if you will in a very smooth manner. Forest Whitaker was great as Idi Amin, but how much can you say about the character of Idi, personally I didn't see any redeeming value in his character. And James McAvoy as the doctor, was really depicted as a degenerating character himself, who seems to have a bit of redemption on the way but certainly nothing that would give anyone a glow at the end of the film.I think the film was well done and although probably accurate, other than reaffirming that yes Idi Amin was a really bad egg just as we thought and treated his people very badly I fail to see it's purpose. Hopefully the film is making money and driving the economy, that would at least serve as something positive. So although Forerst Whitaker portrays the Evil Idi as a Charismatic leader and truly lights up the screen I failed to see much value in it. But hey give it a chance although I wouldn't take a girlfriend or the kids. Personally I didn't sleep well afterward