The Last King of Scotland

Forest Whitaker gives a ferociously convincing Oscar-winning performance as notorious Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in filmmaker Kevin Macdonald's flashy, energetic film, which follows Amin from the time he seizes power, up through the famous raid at Entebbe Airport, when the protection he extended to Palestinian hijackers sparked an attack by Israeli commandos. From the first frame, Whitaker captures to perfection Amin's combination of seductive charm and grotesque unpredictability, naïveté and cunning, rude humor and implacable anger, moving well beyond caricature to embody the complexity of the man. The story is told from the perspective of a young Scot (James McAvoy) who—through a quirk of fate—becomes Amin's personal physician, confidant, and close advisor (the dictator actually did have a Scottish doctor, but one far different from the adventure-seeking but peculiarly idealistic medic depicted here). Although not entirely successful in juggling its very different tones of satire and grim drama, The Last King of Scotland—the title comes from Amin's fascination with Scottish culture—is eminently watchable. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director Kevin Macdonald, the 29-minute featurette “Capturing Idi Amin” on the real-life dictator, seven deleted scenes w/optional commentary (12 min.), a nine-minute Fox Movie Channel “Casting Session” on star Forest Whitaker, the six-minute featurette “Forest Whitaker: Idi Amin,” and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a powerhouse star vehicle.] (F. Swietek)[Blu-ray Review—Feb. 16, 2010—Fox, 123 min., R, $29.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 2006's The Last King of Scotland sports a great transfer and a 5.1 DTS-HD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras are identical to those on the standard DVD release, including audio commentary by director Kevin Macdonald, a “Capturing Idi Amin” featurette on the real-life dictator (29 min.), seven deleted scenes w/optional commentary (12 min.), a Fox Movie Channel “Casting Session” (9 min.) on star Forest Whitaker, a “Forest Whitaker: Idi Amin” featurette (6 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a fine Blu-ray debut for this powerhouse showcase for Oscar-winner Whitaker.]