The Last King Of Scotland

Based on the novel of the same name by Giles Foden, The Last King Of Scotland is a loose biopic of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Using the book’s fictional character, Doctor Nicholas Garrigan - a newly graduated, travelling doc, persuaded to take a job as Amin's personal physician - the movie also functions as a political drama and – during the second half – an escape thriller. Impressively, it works on all three levels.

This is largely thanks to director Kevin Macdonald. Having already proven he can pull-off harrowing real-life tales with acclaimed docu-dramas One Day In September and Touching The Void, he is an ideal choice. Here, he tells a story that is powerful, intriguing and disturbing while adding that extra layer of terror as the gruesome events unfolding on screen, all loosely stem from reality. Make no mistake, this is a bleak movie that wears its brutality on its war-torn sleeve.

However, the memorable element of The Last King of Scotland is Forrest Whitaker’s performance as the General. Despite Macdonald’s open admissions that he felt Whitaker lacked the anger and aggression required, the normally gentle giant completely immerses himself in the role (learning local customs, using the native dialect, meeting family members, speaking to former cabinet ministers) to the point where it took its toll mentally.

Admitting at the rap party that he was relieved to be shedding Amin, Whitaker allegedly started behaving like him off-camera (butchering aside) and, according to producer Andrea Calderwood “he increasingly took onboard the characteristics of Idi, to the point where, towards the end of the shoot, sometimes it was quite difficult to communicate with him as Forrest, because he’d be responding as Idi”. Scary stuff, indeed.

With such an impressive lead turn, it would’ve been easy for his doctor co-star to be eclipsed. Thankfully, James McAvoy is more than up to the task justifying – and then some – the constant comparisons he is earning to fellow Scot Ewan McGregor. Like Amin, Nicholas (pronounced nic-o-las by his new intimidating boss) undergoes an interesting arc, going from an open-minded charmer, who does more bed-hopping than a confessing window-cleaner to a terrified shell of a man scrambling for options.

Like Amin himself, The Last King Of Scotland is uncompromising, gruelling and, at times, gripping. Offering a clever study of the nature of man and the manner in which exterior traits can often mask alternative personalities, this is one movie that will have a cow-shooting, carcass-hanging impact on anyone that sees it.