Dom Robinson reviews
The Last King of Scotland
Charming. Magnetic. Murderous.
Distributed by
Producers:
Andrea Calderwood, Lisa Bryer and Charles Steel
Screenplay:
Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock (based on the book by Giles Foden)
Music :
Cast :
General Idi Amin Dada: Forest Whitaker
Dr Nicholas Garrigan: James McAvoy
Kay Amin: Kerry Washington
Sarah Merrit: Gillian Anderson
Nigel Stone: Simon McBurney
Dr Thomas Junju: David Oyelowo
Jonah Wasswa: Stephen Rwangyezi
Masanga: Abby Mukiibi
Dr David Merrit: Adam Kotz
Mrs Garrigan: Barbara Rafferty
Dr Garrigan (senior): David Ashton
I didn't know a massive amount about Idi Amin's reign of terror when I sat down to watch
The Last King of Scotland, but it was certainly enlightening.
Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is a young doctor who's only just graduated and is eager to
break out of the shackles of his restrictive home life. Spinning the globe, promising to head off to the
first place he stops with his finger, he goes for his second chance... Uganda.
By going to work there for the local mission, he's led to believe that Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker) is a man who will help
the people following the dreadful regime that they're coming to the end of, but all he sees is death,
disease and destruction. Working with two doctors out in the back of beyond, the female half of the couple,
Sarah Merrit (Gillian Anderson) tells Nick that all the new guy is promising is empty rhetoric,
stating that he'll be just the same as Obote, a leader who started off well but eventually ended up
using the economy as his personal bank account. Nick suggests Sarah should give Amin a chance when he
witnesses the people's cheers and excitement, but then he's very wet behind the ears in many respects.
So, Amin talks the talk, but does he walk the walk? Amin is ex-British Army and was helped by the Scottish
when he fought with them against the Mau Mau, so when he gets to meet Nick and learns that he is from
Scotland, he quickly offers him the job of his personal physician, previously held by Dr Junju (Spooks'
David Oyelowo) who he will come to work with later on down at the hospital. Garrigan is over the moon
once he takes it all in, since he trusts the President implicitly.
What could be better for him? He gets to live in luxury but it comes at the price of coming across
Obote's men when he's got other tasks on his mind, and this starts to sow the germ in his mind that Amin
might not be quite on the level. Of course, all politicians are just in it for themselves, but this one
really takes the biscuit. As time passes, he learns about Amin's darker sides and what he's really about
and he wants out, but it's not an easy ask, even going to the point of begging British consulate bod
Nigel Stone, who he really can't stand, for help in escaping but there's no quick 'get out of jail free'
cards on offer here, even after Stone tells him that anyone who dares speak out against of Amin ends up
disappearing without a trace.
To make matters worse, Nick takes a shine to Amin's third wife, Kay (Kerry Washington), but if
you go dipping your wick in one of the boss' wives then expect a none-too-generous reception if and
when the big man gets to find out. In fact this isn't the only thing that makes him mad. Amin becomes
increasingly erratic during his Presidency and Whitaker puts on a blinding performance as a man who goes
from one personality change to another and back again.
Where does the title come from? Well, Amin declares himself as the last king of Scotland because he
says the Scottish have seen how he has defeated the English in Uganda, and that they want him to do
the same for him there. Oh, if he says that then it must be true(!)
In addition, with his riding roughshod over everyone and wishing he could fill his cabinet with Scots,
it feels like New Labour has come 25 years too early(!)
At first I thought this might try to portray the Ugandan dictator in a sympathetic light, rather like
Downfall
did with Hitler, but it did not. We simply get to see as much as Nick sees, since it follows his story.
And while there was no Nick Garrigan in real life, Amin did have a number of personal physicians during his
time in power so this film takes extracts from each of them.
About the casting in this movie, Whitaker and McAvoy were the perfect choice for their respective roles.
The former does exactly what it says on the tin - I mean, above - and is 100% convincing in his performance
as he starts off playing it like everybody's best friend, and then later when we see the real Amin come
through. The latter is perfect for seeing him go from being as green as grass in his innocence to, little by
little, working out precisely what is going on. David Oyelowo is one of the best up-and-coming actors of
his generation and was exceptional last year in BBC2's Shoot the Messenger, but when it comes to the
rest, Kerry Washington doesn't get much to play with other than to stare longingly at McAvoy and if
you blink then you'll miss Gillian Anderson.
I had no complaints with the sound and vision. The picture is superb in the 2.35:1 anamorphic Panavision
widescreen ratio with zero artifacts and a cracking transfer, bringing to life the harsh society portrayed
onscreen and clever use of cinematography with the camera zooming in on certain elements of the picture,
at times, done so to heighten the atmosphere
For the sound, we're given just a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, but it still makes good use of audio
when gunfire rears its ugly head and for atmospheric purposes when Amin's life is in danger.
There are 28 chapters for this film which is a good amount for something running almost two hours long,
subtitles come in English only and the menus feature short extracts from the soundtrack, repeated endlessly
which does drive you up the wall after a while.
