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The Last King of Scotland (2006)
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All reviews for The Last King of Scotland
The Last King of Scotland is a ...
by
pippin06
in
Reel Thoughts
is neutral about it.
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"To warn readers, and due to how I voraciously filled up my Netflix queue when I first subscribed, the next three non-AFI related selections (since I occasionally bump a movie up if it's next on the AFI list) not only revert back to Oscar nominees and winners but seem to focus on message movies about Africa. This would be the first of the three and the second overall of four, if Blood Diamond is included. Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Idi Amin, Ugandan dictator in the late 70s. I never watched the movie on release. I tend not to focus my scant (as time allows) Oscar movie watching efforts on the categories where there is no contest, and Whitaker never faced any real competition that year. I have seen four out of the five Best Actor nominated films from that year now, so it's nice to have the comparison (as a reminder, the five actors nominated were Ryan Gosling for Half Nelson; Will Smith for the The Pursuit of Happyness; Leonardo DiCaprio for Bl ... "
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[REVIEW] Fast, fun, eye-opening ...
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tadiv
in
tadiv Blog
liked it.
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"Fox Searchlight Pictures and Warner Brothers Pictures present, in association with Celador Films and Film4, Danny Boyle's Slumdog Millionaire. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The picture stars Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Anil Kapoor, and Irfan Khan. At the time of this review the film runs 120 minutes and has not yet been rated by the MPAA. The content as seen in my screening would suggest an MPAA "R" rating for scenes of torture and violence. The film is in Hindi and English with English subtitles. A young man, Jamal, who grew up an orphan on the streets of Mimbai, India, gets on the Indian version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire to try to contact his girlfriend. He ends up defending himself against fraud charges brought by the host of the show who thinks that there is no way a "slumdog" could know all the answers that he does. How Jamal knows each answer is shown in flashbacks from his tough, dramatic, and tragic youth. Expertly crafted, Slumdog Millionaire has cr ... "
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The Last King of Scotland (2006)
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JJ79
in
JJ79 Blog
hasn't rated it.
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"There is a scene in the middle of "The Last King of Scotland" featuring Doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) and Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). In this scene, the bulking, ferocious president of Uganda is whining in pain on his bed. He believes someone has poisoned him, despite "knowing" how he is going to die. Garrigan, a lanky white Scot, performs a quick examination. Then, he looks around the bedroom and tells the president to sit on a footstool while he grabs a baseball bat. Moments later, Garrigan puts Amin into a bear hug from behind, and pushes the bat horizontally into Amin's stomach. The president lets out the biggest, most hilarious fart in movie history. That is the only moment of real levity in this entire film, which details the new government of Uganda tumbling down around a Scottish doctor caught up in the turmoil. Movies like this, and a spate of other "message" pictures which came out last year, are crucial to the film pantheon. Why? Because they illuminate a par ... "
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The Last King of Scotland (2006 ...
by
CinemaRian
in
CinemaRian Blog
hasn't rated it.
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"There are some movies that rise above averageness because of a single extraordinary performance. It is easier to give a great perforamnce in a great movie than it is to give a great performance in an average movie where less is expected. The first time I noticed a performance of this kind was in The Accused. Had Jodie Foster not played the lead role as a rape victim in that film, I would have dismissed it as a standard TV-level court procedural. But Foster's performance was so strong, so real, that I cared about her. More than anything the by-the-numbers directrion and script had done, Foster's performance made the movie worth seeing. Forest Whitaker's performance in The Last King of Scotland is like that. He not only steals every scene he is in, he gives the scenes a reason for existance. Whitaker has been nominated for Best Actor and I hope he wins, as he deserves to. He plays Idi Amin, the brutal dictator of Uganda, who, as the closing titles tell us, killed over 300,000 ... "
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Did you mean "State of Play" ( ...
by
chrismorrell
in
chrismorrell Blog
loved it.
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"I came back to this because of John Simm's brilliant performance in 'Life On Mars'...Just listing the cast, and the writer gives an idea of how good this is...John Simm"24 hour party people","Human Traffic", Bill Nighy,"Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy","love Actually" ,"Shaun Of the Dead" , "Hot Fuzz"etc ,David Morrissey, "Stoned","Basic Instinct 2",loads of fantastic T.V. KellyMacDonald,"Trainspot ting","No Country For Old Men" "
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Mr. Whitaker's Baby
by
JakeStevens
in
JakeStevens Blog
liked it.
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"Intense. The one thing that kept pulling me out of the story is that, although it is "based on real people and real events" as it states at the top of the film, the role of the doctor (the main protagonist) is a fictional amalgam of several different people. So some parts seemed a little contrived, even if they were based around real events (i.e. - the ending's deus ex machina). But, man oh man, this is Forest Whitaker's baby - the duality of his role is an amazing spectacle of acting prowess. He is both menacing and engaging, jolly and ferocious. He reminded me of a caged lion in certain scenes, brimming with anger and menace. A very flawed film, but worth watching if only for Mr. Whitaker's fine performance. "
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Right on Taget
by
Demndiary
in
Demndiary Blog
loved it.
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"Richard Shepard's The Hunting Party is that wonderfully strange creature known as a political comedy, or more appropriately, a war comedy. It is incredibly funny, but also delves into the horrors of war. It does this without being preachy. It is a rare gift these days. Richard Gere's Simon is wild, spontaneous, and just a little not there. It is not Gere's best part, ,but one of his best. Terrance Howard's Ducky owns the movie. It is his narrative that puts everything in perspective while showing just how absurd it really is. It should be an Oscar part for Howard. Jessie Eisenburg's Benjamin, the green cameraman, is over the top stereotypical until one scene that makes the ending of the film. War films are tough. It is a fine line between Letters from Iwo Jima, and MASH. They can be too preachy like Saving Private Ryan and Blood Diamond. The Hunting Party finds it line in a space that The Last King of Scotland, and
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Upon a second viewing
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azguki
in
azguki Blog
liked it.
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"The first time I watched this was on a Sunday afternoon about 3 months ago and I think I was interrupted a few times. I remember being happy for Forest Whitaker winning the Oscar (I will never forget his absolutely brilliant cameo in The Color of Money), but I was also a little disappointed that Ryan Gosling didn't get it (Half Nelson was probably the best movie I saw out of all the Oscar hopefuls). But upon a second, uninterrupted, viewing of this film last night, I can firmly say that I have a much better appreciation for it. Not only are all of the performances perfect, it details what must have been one of the most intense times and places of the last fifty years. I love a good fish-out-water story (being a white man in Asia myself) and watching McAvoy's astonishment at all things African,before realizing it isn't the grand adventure theme park he anticpated, seems 100% realistic and believable to me. I wonder how much of his character's story is based ... "
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The Last Hostel of Scotland
by
dibot
in
dibot Blog
liked it.
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"Keep it coming Eli Roth ("Hostel"). Hostel: Part II, the second film in his torture series is much better than the first. Sure, the gore has been turned down, but the filmmaking and story are superior. This time, the story follows three girls as they go to Slovakia for a nice spa retreat. But this time, the men paying to do the killing are also shown. Nice touch. Excellent ending.Forest Whitaker ("Ripple Effect") won an Oscar for his portray of dictator Idi Amin in director Kevin Macdonald ("Touching the Void")'s The Last King of Scotland. Whitaker really is amazing as he disappears into this role. And it's about time he got the recognition he deserves. However, his costar, James McAvoy ("Penelope") is also strong as the young Scottish doctor taken in by Amin's charisma. The film did a good job of showing how Amin could be both a great man and a crazy guy. The scenes where Amin's paranoia creeps in are some of the best in the film. Brutal at times to watch. But utte ... "
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Devestatingly Powerful
by
SgtDobson
in
SgtDobson Blog
loved it.
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"I can't say enough about the performances. Stunning imagery, and the story! I love a good story, and the story of Gerrigan is just provocative. It feels like a psychotic Hemingway story: the good guy doesn't win, and the bad guy is powerfully charismatic. The question of how good guys go bad is subtly answered here; they just don't see it coming until it's too late. On top of that, it is an honest portrait of hate and paranoia, and the development of a dictator. I was a little shocked to see Gillian Anderson tanned with blonde hair, but the shock was quickly dismissed by the performances. Can't say enough about this one. "
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