Directed by:
Kevin MacdonaldCinematography:
Anthony Dod MantleComposer:
Alex HeffesCast:
Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney, David Oyelowo, Stephen Rwangyezi, Abby Mukiibi Nkaaga, Adam Kotz, Gillian Anderson (more)Plots(1)
Set in Uganda in the 1970?s, The Last King of Scotland is a compelling mix of fact and fiction that depicts Idi Amin (Whittaker) as one of the most powerful dictators of our time. Amin?s savagery is illustrated in part through a naive Scottish doctor (McAvoy) who finds himself entangled with Amin in a desperate fight for survival. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (8)
A decent film from an exotic setting with a young James McAvoy as a doctor and Forest Whitaker as a dictator in Kampala. I was expecting something grittier and more intense due to the theme and the harsh setting, but thankfully I didn't slip into boredom. Still, the film left me somewhat cold. 65%
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I expected it to mainly focus on Forest Whitaker's performance, which is partly true, but the film has a story that actually surprised me. I didn't expect anything from it, but it's not that bad. At least at first. It seems like several interesting storylines are unfolding here, but in the end, attention almost blindly focuses only on the insane dictator portrayed excellently by Whitaker. It's a shame because story-wise, it's a missed opportunity. Surprisingly, the film isn't even as gritty as I expected. Or am I really that numb to it by now?
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An ordinary low-budget film with a serious and interesting theme, a captivating performance by Forest Whitaker, and a few rougher scenes, other than that, it is uninteresting. The linear plot has many dull moments, it is quite predictable, and only occasionally does a more intense scene ruffle the waters. I understand the Oscar nomination, but otherwise, this film doesn't have higher ambitions. It's nice that it's based on a true story, but that doesn't guarantee success, although I have no doubt that this symbolic “guarantee of an interesting spectacle” will find its fans, who will defend it to the death. Honestly, it didn't entertain me.
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When the best thing about a whole movie is the main character's shirt, something is wrong. To be fair, though, there are two scenes that make this nonsense is survivable: the initial disposal of Castle's family has a certain amount of impact, and the fight with the Russian muscle-head to the accompaniment of an operatic aria, which is not without its comic exaggeration. The rest, full of ridiculous, pathetic poses, does not do credit to the creators, nor to the fluffy and dynamic comic book premise itself. Although I think Travolta shouldn't climb in front of the camera anymore, here he was mysteriously tolerable, while the mediocre Thomas Jane might not need a Shakespearean training for such a role, but I resisted the onslaught of my diaphragm every time I saw his badass face. But during the scene when the elevator goes up and there's Thomas turning on it, with a taut body under his tattered tank top and a harsh look on his face, I burst out laughing, I really couldn't help it :)
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The environment of Uganda and the figure of Idi Amin are about the only two things that are real here. Everything else is thought up in an uninteresting and often played out story about a naïve young man who falls under the spell of personality, only to snap out of it on time, uncover crimes, and so on. The main character is an unlikeable lout and the only thing that makes him bearable is the charismatic McAvoy, although he has absolutely nothing to work with. This is not the case with Forest Whitaker, but an actor of his stature is somehow expected to play such an impressively rewarding role without overdoing it. The atrocities of Amin's government call for many strong scenes; unfortunately there is an absolute minimum of them here and the film begins to work only in the final twenty minutes. And that's more because of classic thriller tropes than the depiction of real events. This is a huge shame that unnecessarily relegates the film to the role of a reminder that someone like Amin once existed; and if you want to know something more, you will have to do your own research. The creators cleverly managed to cover up the low budget through editing, and the result is visually appealing enough. The Last King of Scotland is a movie that is interesting only because of Whitaker's performance. And even that is not so memorable. To be completely honest, he has many better roles to his credit.
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