The Last King of Scotland

Instead of focusing on the atrocities perpetrated by the Ugandan regime of Idi Amin, this film tells the surreal story of a young Scottish doctor who unwittingly forges a relationship with the megalomaniac but charismatic dictator. Driven by rash idealism, the doctor abandons a family practice to work in the third world, by chance finding himself treating Amin, before long he is irreversibly entangled in the uncertain world of Ugandan politics and civil war. By avoiding graphic images of the genocide, or hardly referring to it most of the film, the viewer experiences the Scotsman's amazingly limited understanding of the situation around him. While surely altered and magnified by Hollywood, the premise of this story is intriguing, and Forrest Whitaker successfully brings to life the infamous Amin's childish insanity.

Worth Watching
3 out of 5
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Plot: 3
Imagery: 3
Originality: 3
Soundtrack: 3
Overall: 3