The FiFi Report 158

The Last King Of Scotland…directed by Kevin MacDonald, director of the acclaimed documentaries ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER and TOUCHING THE VOID.
Based on: The novel by Giles Foden
Genre: Drama
Who: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, David Oyelowo, Kerry Washington
The Plot: 1970’s Uganda: Young, sweet , Scottish doctor heads to Uganda for adventure: Meets the kooky President Amin. Becomes his personal doctor. Gets a snazzy Mercedes convertible and meets pretty girls. Amin becomes a crazy man. Murders, assassination attempts, killings and wild crazy drug parties. Scottish Doctor sleeps with one of Presidents wives. Oops. Not good. Evil, mean and wicked things happen. Doctor tries to escape. Amin gets crazier. More evils things happen.Then Forest Whitacker wins the Academy Award so all it’s Ok . The end.
Acting: Forest Whitaker deserves all the awards – he is amazing- and so does James McAvoy as the Doctor.
Photography: Working with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle MacDonald brings 1970s Uganda to pulsating life, perfectly recreating that tumultuous era. With hand held camera and groovy zoom it almost looks like Starsky and Hutch.
Design: It’s all so 70’s, some of it the bad 70’s….tacky brown carpets and daggy furniture. Bu there are a few lamps and groovy couches you will want to freeze when you watch the DVD.
Wardrobe: It’s seriously 70’s flares on the guys with wide ties and open neck shirts. I see safari suits and aviator sunglasses. The girls wear spring summer Prada 1998 with a dash of the latest marc Jacobs winter collection: high waisted flares print dresses, hot pants and fabulous head scarves.
Salon de Beaute: It’s afros and scarves for the girls and side burns and shags for the guys. Austin Powers eat your heart out.
Botox: You need to drink a dose to numb the face and stop the forehead screwing up in horror at brutality and violence. Just close your eyes and not listen to the screams as I did.
Waterproof Mascara: I recommend a few extra applications to get through the sad plight of the Ugandans. No laughing here will budge any mascara.
Blood’n’guts: Be prepared: Keep eyes firmly shut .
Mind drifted to shopping: When the violence got too much.
Smokin’ smooches: One sexy scene;this ain’t no Rom Com
Car chases: Yes…A blokes movie.
Rename It: Touching the Void
Best Reviews; “A smart, searing thriller with blistering performances from McAvoy and Whitaker. Like the best Graham Greene script Graham Greene never wrote.” Total Film.
Best Worst Reviews: Graham Greene it’s not….Whitaker’s striking work aside, The Last King of Scotland is insipid, obvious movieland history.” Groucho Reviews
See it or donate to the Prada Bag fund? If you cover your eyes in the bad bits (as you do in Prada when you see the price tags) you will be mesmerized by Forest Whitacker and all the beauty amid the turmoil of Africa in the 70’s.
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/lastkingofscotland