In 7 words or less: Horny doc out of depth in UgandaBest bits? Forrest Whitaker excels as Idi Amin, he really cuts an imposing figure that you wouldn't want to ef with. The bit where James McAvoy shoots the cow, thus showing his grit to the dictator. I generally enjoyed all the 70's fun stuff in the first half, a young man on an adventure in an exciting foreign land. Before it all goes awry. Then i felt sick.
Did it make you think thoughts? Yes, even though this film is primarily about the unique personal relationship between Amin and his physician, it also illustrates the part foreign governments (particularly the British), played in the bigger picture. An all too familiar story of their failure to take responsibility for their former protectorate Uganda, while still managing to fatally meddle in its Cold War-Era independence.
Would you watch it again? This was my second viewing after seeing it at the cinema on its release. Always worth going back to as a glimpse of an infamous and iconic dictator, and a stark reminder of atrocities carried out in recent history.
Rating (out of 100%): Great central performances, portrays a large scale theme on a small scale budget successfully. 84%
