The rise of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, told through the eyes of a fictional character. James McAvoy plays a newly-qualifies doctor who wants to do good somewhere abroad, and randomly chooses Uganda. By chance his path crosses that of new chief Amin, who recruits him as his personal doctor. And he roller-coaster ride begins, as Amin switches between big friendly lovable buffoon and terrifying monster. I found McAvoy's character really dislikeable- life would have been so much better (and not just for him) if he had not shown such a predilection for other men's wives. Brilliant performance from Whitaker, capturing he mood swings and the menace always lurking beneath. And Gillian Anderson, with blonde hair and an excellent British accent, is top rate..
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
It was brand new and still cello wrapped.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Acting is excellent, special effects believable and cast is perfect.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Very good film
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
More of a thriller featuring Amin than a straight biopic, in actual fact "The Last King Of Scotland" is reminiscent of an African "Boogie Nights", full of excess, madness, and sinister characters. One such sequence features a party, which feels like a mixture of the Playboy mansion with Amin astride a white horse Lone Ranger style, and Kurtz's insane entourage in Apocalypse Now. The danger crackles from the screen in a mix of drunkenness and naked flesh. Amongst all of this chaos is smug middle-class Doctor Nicholas who realises that his lofty ambitions are at the mercy of a maniac and not the saviour of Uganda. This character is the perfect reflection of the middle-Britain faux intellectual who thinks they know better than the pragmatic officials who have dealt with such dictators for years. He also has an eye for other men's women, biting the hands that feed him on two occasions. He seems intoxicated by Africa, becoming an old style colonial, inflated with his own sense of importance and power. Undeniably Britain and the other colonial powers in Africa have a lot to answer for but the shadowy foreign office fixer is whom the good doctor turns to when his mentor reveals his true level of madness. Amin of course draws comparison with Mugabe, ejecting his own middle-class in favour of cronies who will ultimately ruin the country. As the situation spirals out of control Nicholas seems to physically shrink, his small town mentality returning showing just how out of his depth this tiny man is.Read full review
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