“The Last King of Scotland” (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
Whitaker Channels Amin
Forest Whitaker’s Oscar winning performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in “The Last King of Scotland” is so perfect that it seems Whitaker is channeling the man. This acting gem is what makes the movie worth seeing, and all else the story encompasses falls by the wayside. This isn’t to say that James MccAvoy and Kerry Washington don’t give solid support, but the movie belongs to Whitaker from start to finish.
The movie starts with Scotsman Nicholas Gerrigan (McAvoy) graduating from medical school. Rather than go into medical practice with his father he decides to embark on an adventure. He spins the globe and points his finger. Where it rests is Uganda, so that is where Gerrigan heads.
Once in this country he catches the eye of the new dictator Idi Amin (Whitaker) who decides he wants Gerrigan to become his private physician. Gerrigan lets himself get caught up in the play to his ego and accepts. Soon he is living the good life as Amin spreads the wealth and gives him a luxurious apartment and a fancy sports car to drive. He also introduces him to all of his wives. One of them is named Kay (Washington) and she catches Gerrigan’s eye.
It doesn’t take long for Gerrigan to discover that Amin is a megalomaniac. He demands total loyalty to all of his acts be they rational or not. If you disagree with him, or if he perceives that you disagree with him, your life becomes worthless. When Gerrigan asks that he be allowed to return to Scotland, his request is denied. He is a virtual prisoner in the land of Amin, and that world is getting crazier by the minute.
Whitaker doesn’t so much act the part as live the part of Amin. He has him down to every twitch and quiver. It is a stunning performance and was certainly Oscar worthy. Still the movie does the man and the audience a disservice by not showing more of his cruelty and insanity. You hear a lot about Amin’s horrible acts but you only get glimmers and glances of them.
McAvoy captures the character of a man who lets flattery get him into situations over his head. But even with Gerrigan you want to know more about the whys and wherefores of what he does. He seems to be a man without much depth, but is that truly who he is
Kerry Washington is the surprise in the film. She has been seen in superficial roles in the past that play mainly on her beauty. In this film she creates a character who can be understood and pitied. She plays a woman trapped in a bad situation that is only going to get worse so she reaches out to Gerrigan as a way to save herself. Washington makes every nuance of this role believable.
The movie is rated R for violence, profanity and nudity.
Whitaker’s performance towers over everything else in this film. He makes it interesting and he gives it the power it possesses. It would have been nice if the script and the directing had matched his gifts. “The Last King of Scotland” is a movie of importance but for its acting and not its presentation.
I scored “The Last King of Scotland” a well-acted 6 out of 10.
