Amin!

This is coolbert:

The movie being reviewed is:

"The Last King of Scotland"

"The Last King of Scotland tells the fictional story of Dr. Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), a young Scottish doctor who travels to Uganda and becomes the personal physician to the dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). The film is based on factual events of Amin's rule."

I rate this movie as good, no more than that. Worth seeing, but not a masterpiece. The rise and fall of Idi Amin Dada, as seen through the eyes of a fictional doctor Garrigan.

Comments:

* Amin did indeed have a fascination with all things Scottish. Two of his children had Scottish names, Mackenzie and Campbell. The latter undoubtedly named in honor of Colin Campbell Mitchell, the British army officer who "made" Amin!

* Amin had organized a Scottish-like pipe and drum corps, marching bagpipe playing band, complete uniforms, kilts and all!

* The infamous swimming pool scene is inaccurate. As shown in the French documentary "Général Idi Amin Dada: Autoportrait", Amin enters the pool AFTER his cabinet ministers, NOT before.

* There was a real-life white Englishman, a fawning toady, opportunist and "advisor" to Amin that the character of Garrigan was based upon. This is "Major Bob" Astles, the Ugandan "White Rat". A man whose role during the rule of Amin is disputed and controversial to say the least!!

* In my opinion, the best cinematic depiction of Amin that I have seen was by Yaphet Kotto: "Raid on Entebbe".

* It has often been suggested that Amin WAS A MAD MAN!! Insane, beyond reason and reach! More probably - - the man - - WAS JUST A PLAIN OLD ORDINARY BAD GUY!!

coolbert.