The Last King of Scotland (2006)

This movie kicked off this year's London Film Festival but, much as I like the actor Forest Whitaker, I didn't go to see it before this preview showing.  And he was absolutely stupendous playing Idi Amin, although I would be pleasantly surprised if this showcase resulted in an Oscar nomination for him.  He really became a believable monster Amin, but he was if anything too good, and it was therefore too unpleasant a characterization to win many hearts.  In fact nearly none of the characters on display were particularly likeable, so although one could admire director and documentarian Kevin Macdonald's first feature film, it was not really a movie that one could warm to.  The real focus of the story was Amin's (fictional) Scottish doctor, played by James McAvoy who is this month's 'next big thing'; running away from the prospect of being a family doctor at home with his doctor dad, he lands up in Uganda where he is flattered by Amin's attentions and manages to turn a blind eye to reality, until it is nearly to late to save his soul.  The two hour length did not drag, but one was left with something of a bitter taste by this onslaught of uncomfortable facts and behaviour. I should mention that there was a small role towards the start for a now nearly unrecognizable Gillian Anderson; while it was good to see her back on the screen, this section added little to the tale, except to reinforce what a callow prat the McAvoy character was.