The Last King of Scotland (2006)

	Directed by: Kevin Macdonald	COUNTRY United Kingdom GENRE Drama/Historical NORWEGIAN TITLE The Last King of Scotland RUNNING TIME 121 minutes
	Produced by: Lisa Bryer Andrea Calderwood Christine Rupert Charles Steel
	Written by (based on the novel by Giles Foden): Jeremy Brock Peter Morgan

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Idi Amin	Forest Whitaker	½
Nicholas Garrigan	James McAvoy
Kay Amin	Kerry Washington	½
Sarah Merrit	Gillian Anderson
Nigel Stone	Simon McBurney	½
Dr. Junju	David Oyelowo

Review

Award-winning documentarian Kevin Macdonald's account of the reign of Idi Amin and his relationship with the fictional Scottish physician Nicholas Garrigan is an audacious mixture of fact and fiction, anchored by Forest Whitaker's explosive performance in the title role. At its best, The Last King of Scotland is harrowing and beautiful. The direction is stylish and the characters and performances compelling. Still, the script cannot avoid feeling a tad overplotted and too convenient. There's the obligatory romance and the cliffhanger escape, which unfortunately don't improve the film's integrity. The latter part doesn't quite do the first justice. Even so, Whitaker's potency, James McAvoy's talent, and some delicate touches from Macdonald make this an important look at the infamous dictator. With somewhat more matter-of-factness, the film might also have been an important document.