Posted by
Rogue Historian on Saturday, April 21, 2007 2:28:09 AM
The Last King of Scotland just hit pay-per-view. I recommend it.
The movie is a searing portrait of tyranny, madness and futility. I expected to watch a few minutes and then annoy my wife by finding something better to do, like giving the cat a bath. Instead I was mesmerized. Forest Whitaker is brilliant. The other main actor is adequate, while the supporting cast, from Amin's Minister of Health to his wife to a stoic native physician, perform a flawless humanscape. And that is the heart of the film's gravity. Amin is the movie. This is tyranny: how it looks, how it must feel. One's heart leaps at Amin's volatile outbursts, of violence and of tenderness. James McAvoy's less than perfect portrayal is incidental. The director's intent- at least his accomplishment- is to put his audience in McAvoy's place.
Despite a subplot involving Great Britain's role in propping up Amin, the movie transcends conspiracy. By focusing on Amin and McAvoy's character, it succeeds admirably.