The Last King of Scotland - Review

When looking at the DVD cover then reading the title, you'd think the people making the DVD's made a mistake. The Last King of... Scotland? It kind of makes you want to watch it just for the confusing title. The real reason why I wanted to watch this movie was because Forest Whitaker won an oscar for his lead role of Idi Amin, and man did he not disappoint. I didn't even see Forest Whitaker after 30 seconds of his performance. Not only did he completely transform, but you actually like his character, to begin with. Along with a great script and superb performances from both Whitaker and James McAvoy, I was invested the entire way through. I was also surprised how intriguing and intense the film became in the second and third acts. It's the kind of intrigue where you sit there thinking, "Okay, this whole situation seems too good to be true. Something's not right here." With that thought in your mind, you get sucked into the story all the way to an ending that really reminded me of 'Argo'. No spoilers, but there are some similarities. Overall, this is a film to watch for the performances. Sure the story is a good story and the location and setting is a unique one, but the performances really elevate this movie. Give it a watch.