The Last King of Scotland
For an actor with such a distinctive mug, Forest Whitaker has a thrilling capacity to disappear inside his roles. He demonstrates that skill in “The Last King of Scotland,” with a seductive and volcanic portrayal of Idi Amin, the dictator of Uganda in the 1970s who slaughtered an estimated 300,000 of his own people. Whitaker makes a riveting despot – he seethes with rage, paranoia and manipulative cunning. Sadly, his performance would endure longer in our collective memory if it were part of a better movie. “The Last King of Scotland” makes watching a great actor ply his trade about as pleasant as a trip to the dentist. Director Kevin Macdonald’s work is shrill and simplistic, and his conclusion isn’t exactly revelatory: Amin really was a bad guy. Working from the novel by Giles Foden, Macdonald examines Amin through the eyes of a fictional Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan. Charmed by Amin, who in turn is fascinated by all things Scottish, Garrigan winds up as personal physician to the president-for-life. James McAvoy, the slight and wan actor who plays the role, makes Garrigan seem almost impossibly boyish and naïve. He then has to do a quick 180 when confronted with Amin’s atrocities. Macdonald never makes Garrigan’s journey compelling, and he fails to expand the scope of the film beyond the doctor’s experience. Political intrigue and mass murder feel like afterthoughts. “The Last King of Scotland” brings Amin to life but doesn’t tell his story.
LISTEN: The Last King of Scotland