A fascinating look at a violent and disturbing chapter in Africa's history.
Comment
10/06/06
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
A compelling, though somewhat problematic, story set deep inside Idi Amin's brutal dictatorship in Uganda.
10/06/06
Top CriticMacdonald knows how to hold our interest, and he gives his movie a dizzying sense of momentum, not unlike the mad whirl that surrounds Amin.
10/06/06
Top CriticBy the end of this remarkable, uneven film, we believe that through Whitaker we have come to understand the very nature of power and corruption.
10/06/06
This 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
Forest Whitaker gives a titanic performance as the general ... and as he seduces the naive young man into his murderous regime, director Kevin Macdonald unpacks the ignorance and arrogance that still characterize the West's attitude toward Africa.
10/06/06
Forest Whitaker that is nothing less than formidable and that most likely will merit an Oscar nomination.
10/06/06
The performances are universally strong -- though the documentary-like realism is hampered by the fact that the story revolves around a fictitious character like Garrigan.
10/06/06
[Forest Whitaker inflects] the character with a recognizably human complexity without soft-pedaling his essential barbarity. It's an arresting performance.
10/06/06
This is a powerful film. It is beautifully written and expertly acted. It should not be missed.
10/06/06
This role is the pinnacle of Whitaker's film career. It is the type of performance that belongs alongside classic characterizations from Hollywood's past.
10/06/06
It's a curious piece of work, part biopic, part history lesson and part Hitchcockian thriller. Unfortunately, Macdonald is not skilled enough to meld the three.
10/05/06
[Whitaker] puts in one of the most amazing acting performances of the year making Amin appear to be equally likable and detestable all at the same time
10/05/06
A shrewd commentary on misguided Western excursions into the 'dark continent.'
10/05/06
Top CriticThe movie uses a fictional device to get up close and personal, but I'm not sure the fictional device works.
10/05/06
Top CriticGreat 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 CriticAlthough Last King is faithful to the novel, it is superior in almost every way.
10/05/06
A devastating morality tale that shows just how easy it is for a well-meaning outsider to become lost in a culture he doesn't understand, and to find himself seduced and corrupted by taking very small and seemingly reasonable steps.
10/05/06
Whitaker is on fire, and as long as he's onscreen, King keeps you riveted.
10/05/06
Top CriticA spellbinding safari into the mind of His Excellency the madman.
10/05/06
Latest News for The Last King of Scotland
October 03, 2008:
Further Reading: Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker in Abel Ferrara's Mary
As the NFT in London prepares a Juliette Binoche season, Kim looks at Abel Ferrara's Mary which also stars Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker. More...
June 25, 2008:
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The action-thriller Wanted hits theaters this week, and though it's toplined by one of the biggest stars in the world (Angelina Jolie), it also features a young Scotsman who's... More...
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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