A stirringly suspenseful, well-crafted film featuring a towering performance from Forest Whitaker based on the riveting true story of Idi Amin. Why then, did the filmmakers take the cowardly, safe route of centering the story around a non-existent...
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A stirringly suspenseful, well-crafted film featuring a towering performance from Forest Whitaker based on the riveting true story of Idi Amin. Why then, did the filmmakers take the cowardly, safe route of centering the story around a non-existent (and White) character instead of entrusting the very people the story is purportedly about to tell their own story? And even the fictional Dr. Garrigan had a more interesting real-life counterpart, Bob Astles. A solid movie, but I still would have liked to see this story get a different treatment.

An interesting primer on the insidious onset of paranoia, this movie doesn't grip you from the start: in fact, in the very beginning, the pace is kind of slow. And it's hard not to like Forest Whitaker's character, Idi Amin, at first. He seems...
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An interesting primer on the insidious onset of paranoia, this movie doesn't grip you from the start: in fact, in the very beginning, the pace is kind of slow. And it's hard not to like Forest Whitaker's character, Idi Amin, at first. He seems like a fun-loving guy, who makes jokes and par-tays like it's nobody's business. But then his paranoia sets in, and soon we begin to fear Amin-and justly so. He can have you killed at the very suspicion that you were plotting against him, and in his latter days in power he suspects everybody. A true thriller that has your heart jumping out of your ribcage, this is one to watch.

great story of true events...a well deserved best actor performance from forest whitaker, who makes a controversial and complex character somewhat understandable. tense!

A movie that has developed a lot of hype, particuarly following its BAFTA and Golden Globe nods, and now its Oscar nod for Best Actor for Forest Whitaker. I counted this film as one of my most anticipated movies of 2007. It is a great film, but...
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A movie that has developed a lot of hype, particuarly following its BAFTA and Golden Globe nods, and now its Oscar nod for Best Actor for Forest Whitaker. I counted this film as one of my most anticipated movies of 2007. It is a great film, but it does not live up to all of the hype. Whitaker is fantastic as Idi Amin, and he is well supported, particuarly from James McAvoy. The story is gripping, and the film excellently contrasts the lifestyles of those around Amin and those living in Uganda proper. It is a great drama, but to me, it should have been about ten to twenty minutes shorter. The story in the middle seemed to stretch itself out too much (don't get me wrong - I love long movies), but I still walked away enjoying it - well as much as you can enjoy this film. However, it was lacking the all important X factor. When it ended, it just felt like the film was missing something to make it a truly great film.