The Last King Of Scotland

(2006)

Todd Says:

5 STARS

This is an example of a Film living up to all of it's critical hype. Forest Whitaker is perfect. Based on the real events that took place in Uganda, The Last King Of Scotland is a powerful telling of one man's quick rise to power in an unstable region and another man's misguided journey for adventure. James McAvoy plays Nicholas Garrigan, who becomes the Ugandan dictator's personal physician and his "most trusted advisor." McAvoy is brilliant, and his character grows in ways that most Hollywood movies don't even attempt to portray.

The story is exciting, and sad, and brutal, and even frightening at times, but it is a roller-coaster worth riding. Garrigan, a young doctor, leaves Scotland looking for adventure and ends up in Uganda. Amin, played by Whitaker, is an army general who just toppled a corrupt government. Both men seem to want to save Uganda, but power corrupts it seems and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Amin's story, even as vicious as he was, is a tragic story of innocence eroding, and a sad testimony that violence truly does beget more violence.

I highly, highly, highly recommend this movie.

Alexis says:

5 STARS

I wasn't so sure about this film, I had heard that is what good but I wasn't so sure that I would enjoy it, but I did more than enjoy it, I learned from it. Aside from enjoying a film because it has a great story or great characters or acting I really love when I can learn something from a film.

Of course this film was only based on true accounts but I was so completely in the dark about Idi Amin when I sat down to watch it that I was bound to learn something about the man and his regime. Forest Whitaker was amazing, as was McAvoy (who was based on Henry Kyemba, Amin's health ministor). The film is also beautiful, can I say that about a film? Well, this film was beautiful.

And I too, highly recommend it.