Amin, rather discomfitingly, is a marvellous monster.
Comment
01/12/07
The Last King of Scotland (2006)
87
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:176
Fresh:153
Rotten:23
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: Forest Whitaker's performance as real-life megalomaniac dictator Idi Amin powers this fictionalized political thriller, a blunt and brutal tale about power and corruption.
Theatrical Release:Sep 27, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $17,449,410
Synopsis: Forest Whitaker delivers a ferociously commanding performance as bloodthirsty Ugandan president Idi Amin in Kevin MacDonald's THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Adapted from the novel by Giles Foden, the... [More]
Starring: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, David Oyelowo
Director: Kevin MacDonald
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Reviews for The Last King of Scotland
There’s a nihilistic and unmistakeable whiff of Apocalypse Now about the last wild reel, and the carnage left over by the Israeli raid on Entebbe airport.
01/12/07
See the movie for Whitaker alone: He's possessed by evil and possesses it wholly, rendering the film (and everyone in it) his plaything.
10/13/06
Mr. Whitaker and Mr. McAvoy head a first-rate cast that helps The Last King of Scotland to illuminate one of the many dark chapters in recent African history.
11/29/06
Top CriticForest Whitaker that is nothing less than formidable and that most likely will merit an Oscar nomination.
10/06/06
it's Mean Girls, with more bloody warlords
09/26/06
So often the gentle giant, Whitaker changes tack here with an intimidating display of girth and guile, mixed in with the outward signals of untouchable nuttiness.
01/12/07
Rare is the actor who can accomplish an instant transformation from beast to buddy, but Whitaker makes it look easy.
10/12/06
Top CriticThis is director Kevin MacDonald's first feature film, yet along with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle, he has produced a motion picture that will become an instant political classic.
10/06/06
It would all be for naught without Whitaker, who makes Amin fun, funny, vulnerable and poignant while never letting us forget his murderous monomania.
09/27/06
Whitaker portrays Amin as funny, vulnerable, tender and enigmatic -- all without ever letting us forget he was a maniacal monster.
02/28/08
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11/20/08
It observes the insanity of Amin through the eyes of a corrupted soul, leaving just enough space between fact and fiction to flesh out a fascinating motion picture.
09/28/06
Forest Whitaker's performance as Idi Amin is so good it's scary.
09/19/06
[Director Kevin Macdonald] captures the energy and exuberance of a young nation in the throes of optimism and works it into a foreboding frenzy.
09/27/06
Top CriticThe Last King of Scotland, and especially Whitaker's performance, provide insight into the troubled psyche of one of history's most terrifying leaders.
10/13/06
Great as Whitaker is in this juicy slab of Oscar bait, Macdonald's movie doesn't have much to offer beyond a pair of stunning performances, propulsive editing, fantastic scenery and the heartbeat rhythms of African music.
10/05/06
Top CriticWe see Idi Amin through Nicholas' eyes and it's a shocking transformation... he starts out as the people's hope for a brighter future and turns into the nation's nightmare.
09/29/06
Although Last King is faithful to the novel, it is superior in almost every way.
10/05/06
A shrewd commentary on misguided Western excursions into the 'dark continent.'
10/05/06
Top CriticLatest News for The Last King of Scotland
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December 06, 2007:
James McAvoy on Atonement: The RT Interview
Scottish actor James McAvoy has shot several films in the last few years (Becoming Jane, The Last King of Scotland, and the eagerly anticipated Wanted) but so far remains most... More...
November 14, 2007:
British Screenwriters Voice Support for Writers' Strike
The Writers' Guild of Great Britain has a message for Hollywood studios hoping to use British talent to scab over the Writers' Guild of America strike, and it isn't the message... More...
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