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10,000 B.C. Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.
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4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies. |
Last King of Scotland, The
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MPAA RATING: R for some strong violence and gruesome images, sexual content and language
Starring Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney, Gillian Anderson, David Oyelowo, and Adam Kotz
In an incredible twist of fate, a Scottish doctor (McAvoy) on a Ugandan medical mission becomes irreversibly entangled with one of the world's most barbaric figures: Idi Amin (Whitaker). Impressed by Dr. Garrigan's brazen attitude in a moment of crisis, the newly self-appointed Ugandan President Amin hand picks him as his personal physician and closest confidante. Though Garrigan is at first flattered and fascinated by his new position, he soon awakens to Amin's savagery - and his own complicity in it. Horror and betrayal ensue as Garrigan tries to right his wrongs and escape Uganda alive. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
| GENRE(S): | Drama | Foreign |
| WRITTEN BY: |
Jeremy Brock
Giles Foden (novel) Peter Morgan Joe Penhall |
| DIRECTED BY: | Kevin Macdonald |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: April 17, 2007 Theatrical: September 27, 2006 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 121 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | UK |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
The average user rating for this movie is 8.1 (out of 10) based on 72 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Nick A. gave it an8:
Forest Whitaker inhabits the heartless monster of Idi Amin, Uganda’s President from 1971-1979, with ease as he leads a cast of stellar performances in this true story of corruption in a country so hopeless its residents would follow any leader who rose to the opportunity. Subsequently, in 1971, Idi Amin was elected the Ugandan President for some years to come. In the eight years following his initiation, his unflinching thirst for power would lead to deaths of more than 300,000 Hindus, Christians, and Lango tribes. The number of deaths by persecution that Uganda witnessed during Amin’s tenure as President stands as one of the highest death tolls one nation’s leader has been responsible for since Adolf Hitler. 'The Last King of Scotland' recounts the terrifying story of Amin’s rule through the view-point of a young Scottish doctor, who travels to Uganda to aid the fight against disease that the population was succumbing to. James McAvoy, in his most prominent role to date, is fit for the role at hand. We watch his character, Nick Garrigan, as he is adopted into Amin’s regime as the President’s personal physician. As young Nick realizes the corruption and willful malevolence of the leader, he begins to scheme an overthrow of the reigning dictator; to save his life and the lives of thousands of Ugandans. Kevin McDonald goes about his depiction of the events that took place in a fashion reminiscent of 2004’s 'Downfall,' which told the story of the last days of Hitler’s reign through the eyes of his private secretary. Shot with precision and detailed with informative dialogue, viewers have the opportunity to dwell in the mind of one of the world’s most vicious fiends.
Greg E. gave it a10:
This movie blew me away. This a true story, and it really struck a chord with me how this one no-name doctor becomes involved in such an involved scene 10/10 This movie is one of the best of all time
[Anonymous] gave it a10:
Hey! This was a good movie whether it was based on fact or not, real characters or not. Jeez, relax everyone. All this white people, black people, what about his rise to power stuff. It was just a really good movie.
Sohail A. gave it a7:
The acting was awesome, but the movie could have used a little bit more direction/meaning as a whole.
Pat C. gave it a9:
This is an unvarnished study of a naive empty vessel of a young man without direction. Fresh out of medical school, he knows only that he doesn't want to live under his father's direction. As a result he finds himself living under the direction of the catastrophically insane. The movie stumbles tentatively from scene to scene, but Whitaker sells it anyway. In the end it will stay with you. Quite an achievement really.
John B. gave it an8:
It's the realistic and totally believable performance of Forest Whitaker that pulls this movie through. The Last King of Scotland brings us to Idi Amin's world and the life changing story of a man that finds his original intentions turned upside down through unforeseen circumstances. This movie is as much fiction as it is a movie that brings awareness to an important time in history.
Mark G. gave it a9:
Forest and McAvoy both give stellar preformances in a brutal and real piece of film. True the film was subjected to some criticism, with all the praise focusing on Forest's brilliant interpretation of the infamous dictator but why did it take until now to recognise his brilliance?? People jumping on the bandwagon this year after ignoring Forest's splendid acting in Bird and Ghost Dog should try in future to recognise an actor's potential long before the critics stir up a whirlwind about a recent performance. The film contains some brilliantly worked scenes and the way the angles constantly vary allow us to look at the life of Idi Amin as both an insider and an outside observer. McAvoy does a fine job of portraying a difficult character but it is Whitaker's hypnotic screen presence as he shows us his ferocity and helplessness simultaneously, that makes the film masterful.
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