Review

Review Date: 8-October-06
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Just OK

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker has garnered a lot of press for his portrayal of Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," but I think this level of attention is misguided. Sure, he depicts the late Ugandan dictator with a certain amount of psychosis and charisma, but the fact that Amin possessed these qualities isn't enough to drive a film. All the vignettes showing Amin as petulant, paranoid, and dangerous during the long 121 minutes of "The Last King of Scotland" could be reduced to three: a scene where he cheats in a swimming race and proudly proclaims himself the winner; a moment when he's pegged by a former confidant as a frightening child; and a conversation during which his ill-fated wife reveals that he has always been that way. These, along with the historical events that move the plot, tell us all we need to know. Amin was bad news and Whitaker has his number. But what's the movie about?

Despite the hoopla surrounding its more visible role, the central (mostly fictional) character of "The Last King of Scotland" is a young doctor named Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy, also charismatic) who leaves Scotland seeking foreign adventure. Arriving simultaneously with Amin's coup, he finds himself commandeered by the new "president" as a personal physician. The moderately good doctor is at first reluctant (in part because of an amour with a married woman played by Gillian Anderson), but Amin's lavish lifestyle and the allure of the man himself prove persuasive. There begins a twisted journey which takes Nicholas from the privileged right hand of the boisterous leader to horrifying depths of betrayal, murder, and despair. He does grow in understanding and guilt with every month that passes. Yet the self-realization or redemption that might have elevated his story is missing. After the gruesome incidents which ultimately define the movie's tone, Nicholas' only goals are escape and survival. While this seems logical in a real-world setting, it renders the narrative sort of meaningless. For my part, the doctor's journey should have included more personal detail, including the reaction of his upstanding parents (glimpsed at the beginning) to the increasingly alarming news of their son's position. Amin's lasting effect on his country is documented and easily imagined. What might his lasting effect have been on a cheery, opportunistic young man whose spirit he almost snuffed out? "The Last King of Scotland" doesn't clearly speculate on the answer. I wish it did.

Copyright © 2006 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.