ALLAN HUNTER at the Movies

KEVIN MCDONALD is one of Scotland’s most successful filmmakers. His documentaries have won him an Oscar and a BAFTA.

Now he makes an impressive first move into drama with ‘The Last King Of Scotland’, an exciting, beautifully paced adaptation of the Giles Foden novel in which a naive Scottish doctor becomes the playmate of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin.

It may be a work of fiction but it feels uncannily true to life in the way it captures the deadly charm and lethal tyranny of Amin.

James McAvoy confirms his star potential with a charismatic performance as young medic Nicholas Garrigan. A mixture of cocky aggression and wide-eyed wonder, he leaps at the chance to leave stuffy 1970s Scotland and embark on a grand adventure in Africa.

He is idealistic enough to want to change the world as long as it involves having some fun along the way. He has barely settled in when he crosses paths with Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker).

Initially, Nicholas is charmed by a man with an unexpected passion for all things Scottish. Flattered and beguiled, he readily agrees to become his personal physician and trusted friend.

Everything is like a wonderful game until Nicholas begins to realise the extent of Amin’s madness and the bloody grip he exerts on the country.

A journey from innocence to fear, ‘The Last King Of Scotland’ is completely compelling, and builds into a nail-biting thriller as Nicholas begins to dice with death and plot his great escape.

Forest Whitaker is immensely convincing as Amin, suggesting a cuddly bear who could just as easily rip you limb from limb if he chose. The result is a gripping, expertly made yarn with an extra fascination for anyone who lived through Amin’s headline-grabbing reign in the 1970s.

Nationwide release

Director: Kevin Mcdonald
Stars: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington, Simon McBurney
Screenwriters: Jeremy Brock and Peter Morgan, based on the novel by Giles Foden
Certificate: 15
Running time: 125 mins
Country: UK
Year: 2006

© Allan Hunter, 2007