The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) | Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy

The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) | Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy | The Last King of Scotland

DVDs:

The Last King of S...

	The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition) Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy 20th Century Fox, 2007 average customer review:based on 227 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The new president of Uganda, Idi Amin, immediately takes a liking to a young Scottish doctor working in a rural African hospital and places him in a senior position in the health department, becoming one of his closest advisors.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: R
Release Date: 22-JAN-2007
Media Type: DVD

The Last King of Scotland

While Nicholas Garrigan never existed, he was the sum of several people who were close to Idi Amin. Forest Whitaker was both charming and terrifying as Amin. James McAvoy, an up and coming actor was good with the character that was given him. He was much better in the later half of the movie when it became apparent that he was no longer the trusted advisor, but a target of the man who claimed to be the father of his people and who claimed to love Garrigan. McAvoy shines in his latest roles in Becoming Jane and Wanted. Whitaker deserved the Oscar he garnered.

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The Last King of Scotland

Very good service. The disc was excellent. The price was right and I would buy again from the seller. Thank you.

A truly dazzling look at a fictional truth...

`The Last King of Scotland' opens almost childishly, kind of amateurish, as if it was going to make light of a very serious subject. Almost immediately though it shifts gears and begins its gradual decline into darker waters, submersing the audience in the stirring madness that was the reign of Idi Amin. Told through the eyes of fictitious character Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, `The Last King of Scotland' attempts to give the audience a ringside seat to the tragic events surrounding Amin's rise to power; and for the most part it succeeds very well.

One must remember that this is not a true story. It is a fictitious account of historical events. You can liken it to `Titanic', for it is a fictional story woven around a foundation of actual events.

The film opens with Scottish Doctor Nicholas Garrigan making his way to Uganda to help care for the sick villagers but is soon persuaded by the power behind Idi Amin (who has a soft spot for the Scottish) to leave his original plans and become Amin's personal physician. This decision proved to be devastating for Garrigan, but that realization would come at a time that was almost too late for him. As Garrigan becomes more knowledgeable of the truth behind Amin's reign, his initial admiration turns to disgust as he realizes the weight of the situation he now finds himself. Garrigan finds himself acquainted with those in Amin's circle, including one of his wives named Kay with whom he starts a very dangerous relationship.

The film is strengthened by the phenomenal performances by the two male leads, both Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy delivering career best performances. Whitaker delves into the real man that is Idi Amin, the brutality festering beneath his surface always showing through in his eyes. (His performance reminds me a bit of Yul Brenner's Oscar winning performance in `The King and I', a portrayal of a man savage by nature who tries to justify his actions with a façade of kindness. Yes, they are two different people in the end, but he similarities are obvious.) His performance garnered him award after award (a sweep to be exact) and finally got him recognized among his peers. His performance is extraordinary, but to be honest he is not as good as McAvoy who fleshes out Garrigan with expert precision, creating a character who is complete and real. As Whitaker slips Amin into savagery, McAvoy is slowing peeling away Garrigan's sanity to unveil a man scarred by his surroundings and paralyzed by his newfound predicament.

I was a little let down by Kerry Washington, not because her performance was lacking (it was quick good) but because the script didn't allow her to become someone truly real to us. The film was so focused on Garrigan's relationship with Amin that it didn't take a few moments to really flesh out his relationship with Kay, and if it had then her performance would have seemed richer. That is really the only fault I have with the script also, that it fails to fully invest itself in the entirety of Garrigan's surroundings, targeting his interactions with Amin and allowing the rest of the events around him to become mere side-points. The film is not particularly long so it could have benefited from a few more minutes added to flesh out the entire plot.

But, that is really just a small issue, not anything that should detract anyone from seeing this film.

The final moments in `The Last King of Scotland' literally took my breath away (and single-handedly landed Whitaker his Oscar, when if the Academy would look at the less showy performance in the same scene they may have made a different choice). It is in those moments that the entire film comes to a traumatic and emotionally rooted climax. Many will see this film for Whitaker's lauded performance (as did I) but what you will find is a diamond in the rough; a truly outstanding fictional biopic that tantalizes every one of our senses.

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Great Title Role

Forrest Whitaker was born to play Idi Amin, evidently. He's got him down. He's even better in this than he was being Charlie Parker in "Bird." The script is a fanciful take on an imaginary doctor who becomes the dictator's advisor. There are a few love interests. Not too much violence. An entertaining watch.

Should Have Been A Great Film

Forrest Whitaker's mesmerizingly powerful performance as one of the last century's more brutal tyrants was this movie's sole saving grace. Even the presence of James McAvoy, one of my favorite young actors, didn't do much toward salvaging what this motion picture, by its closing act, had become. The Last King of Scotland had a lot of talent behind it and the first half showed that, but the promise of its beginnings was simply annihilated in its muddled second half, which was little less than a cinematic disaster. I can't recall the last time I saw a plot go to pieces quite as badly as was the case here. A very real shame, too! Yes, Whitaker was brilliant, the scenery was impressive, the story of Idi Amin was ripe for telling, but this almost totally fictionalized would-be bio-pic was a letdown of major proportions.

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