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The Last King of Scotland, 2006

The Last King of Scotland

English, French, German, Swahili

UK

Rating:7.8
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Profile of The Last King of Scotland

The mood of The Last King of Scotland is disturbing, captivating, and gloomy. The plot centers around corrupt rulers, a head of state, and a conspiracy against humanity. It is a drama and historical movie. In approach, The Last King of Scotland is serious and realistic. The pacing is slow. The setting is Africa. The Last King of Scotland happens in the 20th century. It is drawn from a biography, originally a true story, and based on a book. The movie is known for being an Oscar winner and critically acclaimed. Note that The Last King of Scotland includes and sexual content.

Summary of The Last King of Scotland

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 film recounts Amin's horrific reign through the eyes of a fictional character, Nick Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young doctor from Scotland who travels to Uganda hoping to do some good. Nick is more sanguine about new president Amin than is his counterpart Sarah Merrit (Gillian Armstrong), whose experience causes her to be skeptical of Amin's bombastic declarations. After an automobile accident, Nick is called in to treat the president's wounds. His authoritative behavior impresses Amin, who charms Nick into becoming his personal physician. Nick embraces his newfound life of luxury, but he is unable to grasp the reality of the situation. When he does finally realize the atrocities Amin is inflicting upon his people (and is also capable of inflicting on Nick), the terrified doctor tries to make a frantic escape before it's too late.

MacDonald, director of the acclaimed documentaries ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER and TOUCHING THE VOID, makes a startlingly assured transition into fictional filmmaking with THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND. Working with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle (THE CELEBRATION) and editor Justine Wright, MacDonald brings 1970s Uganda to pulsating life, perfectly recreating that tumultuous era. But ultimately the film belongs to Whitaker: as he shifts from charming to maniacal in the space of a short, unexpected breath, he infuses Amin with startling humanity.

Details

Language: English, French, German, Swahili
Country: UK
Release date: 1 September 2006
Runtime: 121 min
Awards: Academy Awards

Awards

Forest Whitaker for Best Actor at the 2006 Academy Awards

Cast and Crew

James McAvoy as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan in The Last King of Scotland
James McAvoy

as Dr. Nicholas Garrigan

Forest Whitaker as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland
Forest Whitaker

as Idi Amin

Photos

James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson and James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)
Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson and James McAvoy in The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Clips

The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland: Home Video
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland: Home Video
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland: Home Video
The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland: Official Trailer

Critics Reviews

Washington Post
Macdonald has a fetching feel for the continent, and the movie has a powerful sense of what Africa looks and feels like; you can almost smell it.
San Francisco Chronicle
Unlike Sean Penn's demagogue in "All the King's Men," you're able to forget that Whitaker is acting. He embodies the role. When clips of the real Amin are shown at the end, it's almost shocking to realize the extent to which Whitaker has become him.

Users Reviews

Reality strikes again
I cant help it. But no matter how you twist and bend on it, movies based on reality and not America are better. Kevin Macdonald steps half way out of his normal shoes to make a film that is amazing. You laugh, you cry you understand. This story is...
Acting Brilliance
Adapted from the 1998 novel of the same name by Giles Foden, The Last King of Scotland views a period of the reign of Idi Amin through the eyes of his (fictional) Scottish personal physician Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy). Garrigan arrives in...
Likely to see
Not for me

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