A disturbing look into the dark mind of a cruel Ugandan dictator. This frightening personal account is told by the doctor and chief advisor of the man himself.
General Idi Amin Dada (Forest Whitaker) was the reigning leader of Uganda (titled 'president', but much more powerful than that) in the 1970's. What his followers first saw and supported as nationalism and hope turned out to be covers for racial hatred and human rights abuse.
Scottish Doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) was among the many followers who was deceived. Emigrating to Africa to seek adventure, young Nicholas met became close General Amin after healing a minor wound from an accident. The General admired Nicholas's bravery and the fact that he was Scottish, and offered him a job as a personal physician.
Nicholas has no idea what he's going to get into. As the death tolls mount and more and more innocent people disappear, Nicholas must escape Uganda before it's too late, and the country plunges into chaos.
Although I loved the story and could easily believe the actors, I felt that there was a lot of film that could've been cut out. The period between the beginning and end dragged on for what seemed like way too long. I understand that these scenes show the viewer that the General experienced mood swings and went from charmer to murderer at the flip of a switch, but I got pretty sick of these displays after a while. Also, there are two sex scenes, and many other adult themes throughout the film.
In conclusion, even though there were some historical inaccuracies in order to add to the drama, this film is a great rent if you're interested in interactive history. It's worth your money, I would recommend it to anyone.
