Last issue I favourably reviewed Starter For Ten and here we are again with another film starring James McAvoy! Mind you, there are no complaints if he continues to appear in such powerful productions. Here McAvoy plays recently qualified doctor Nicholas Garrigan, working in Uganda in the early 1970s. The country is under the rule of Idi Amin following a military coup and when the new leader is injured in a road accident, Garrigan is called to patch him up. This leads to the young doctor being offered the job of personal physician to the charismatic Amin and he’s soon hobnobbing with the Ugandan elite. But as the darker side of Amin’s personality is revealed, Garrigan’s life is put in jeopardy. McAvoy creates a sympathetic character, which is admirable given that Garrigan’s naivety is responsible for the deaths of several innocent people. Even when, aware of the danger, he stupidly begins an affair with one of Amin’s wives, you still find yourself rooting for his survival. But it’s Forest Whitaker’s performance as Amin which will win the plaudits. Compelling and persuasive at the start of the film, it’s all the more disturbing when Amin’s menacing, monstrous side is revealed. Whitaker thankfully doesn’t stray into caricature, resulting in a well rounded, entirely believable portrait.
Verdict: ★ ★★ ★ ★
Forest fires on all cylinders – possibly his finest performance on screen. >> Read More
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