The Last King of Scotland

A great Forest Whitaker, an underused James McAvoy (shame on the writers for ditching the main character like that!), a nice African setting, an even nicer Gillian Anderson... But the promised drama was where, exactly? Not that I was downright disappointed, but the film is completely lacking anything that should have shocked me or made me think "Wow, that Amin, what a monster..." Of course, I have no desire to see hundreds of thousands of people murdered, but what was it about The Last King of Scotland that was supposed to impress me? The final half hour or so? Yes, it was impressive. Explanatory captions with the number of victims of Amin's atrocity? Nope. (12/07/2012)

When the best thing about a whole movie is the main character's shirt, something is wrong. To be fair, though, there are two scenes that make this nonsense is survivable: the initial disposal of Castle's family has a certain amount of impact, and the fight with the Russian muscle-head to the accompaniment of an operatic aria, which is not without its comic exaggeration. The rest, full of ridiculous, pathetic poses, does not do credit to the creators, nor to the fluffy and dynamic comic book premise itself. Although I think Travolta shouldn't climb in front of the camera anymore, here he was mysteriously tolerable, while the mediocre Thomas Jane might not need a Shakespearean training for such a role, but I resisted the onslaught of my diaphragm every time I saw his badass face. But during the scene when the elevator goes up and there's Thomas turning on it, with a taut body under his tattered tank top and a harsh look on his face, I burst out laughing, I really couldn't help it :) (07/06/2007)

A brilliant film that somewhat exceeded my expectations, and you don't have to go far to find the main reasons. The depiction of the real events is very well done and the film not only goes by quickly but also builds up very impressively. Moreover, the atmosphere is strengthened by the serious political premise from a socially very unstable and tense setting, and in particular by the excellent performance of Forest Whitaker, who exudes incredible authority and generates unpleasant chills from the very first second. James McAvoy isn't lagging behind either, and he puts his life on the line, but it's Whitaker who steals the show and ultimately all the awards for himself. At first I had some sympathy for his character, but by the end I wanted to wring his neck. And that is what acting is mainly about. 85% (01/23/2013)

A decent film from an exotic setting with a young James McAvoy as a doctor and Forest Whitaker as a dictator in Kampala. I was expecting something grittier and more intense due to the theme and the harsh setting, but thankfully I didn't slip into boredom. Still, the film left me somewhat cold. 65% (11/16/2017)

A film I had been eagerly anticipating, and one that I believed in as much as only a handful of other films even before seeing it. I think the film's potential was fully realized here—when you take such a gripping real-life history with actual characters and pair it with an experienced director, there’s little chance the final result would fall flat. Forest Whitaker is hands down the best part of the film; his portrayal of the general was unpredictable, and when you add the undeniable charisma this actor possesses, it’s clear that the Oscar was already in his pocket that year. And the casting nailed the physical resemblance! At first glance, it might seem like James McAvoy was playing in his shadow, but don’t be fooled, as he also delivers a performance worthy of a full ten out of ten (though he might have been even more convincing in Split). The film boasts captivating locations where it was shot. When you combine those with the actors and a story full of tense moments and twists, you’re guaranteed an excellent two-hour experience. I give it 86%. (09/01/2017)