The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker makes this movie. There's no question about it. Without him, it'd be nothing more than okay. Instead, it's pretty good. I'm not sure if I've seen every Best Actor nominee he was up against in 2006, but based on what I just saw, I think the Academy was justified in giving him the Oscar. The film, based on true events, is about a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda to practice medicine. There, he gets caught up in a coup led by Idi Amin (Whitaker) who, by chance, happens to love Scotland and Scottish culture. Bonds develop and before long the doctor is employed as Amin's personal physician. Of course, as the film's second act unfolds, we see that things in Uganda are far worse than we had initially expected them to be under Amin's reign. He's a dictator - who'd've thunk it? - conducting mass genocide and general oppression. If I told you about the third act, you'd tell me I was spoiling things. So I won't. But, suffice it to say, it's nothing you haven't seen before. The two things keeping this movie from being a generic 4 or 5 are Forest Whitaker (+2) and its basis on a true totalitarian regime (+1). Voila: a 7 or an 8; a pretty solid film. I suppose it's fair and right to compare the movie to other contemporary African dramas. It sure beats Blood Diamond, and I've yet to see Hotel Rwanda. My favorite African-set movie? Probably The Power of One, but I must admit it's been about ten years since I saw it. But I've gone off track again. The Last King of Scotland is good-not-great, and its main selling point is definitely Forest Whitaker's portrayal of the crazy man who took over a nation. See it if you wish.