Young Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan decides it's time for an adventure after he finishes his formal education, so he decides to try his luck in Uganda, and arrives during the downfall of President Obote. General Idi Amin comes to power and asks Garrigan to become his personal doctor.
The take
You might have to wipe some sweat from your forehead once you've finished watching this blistering political thriller. It doesn't make any sense to us that this 2006 movie by documentary director Kevin Macdonald made less than 20 million in box office revenue when it came out, but that makes it even more A Good Movie to Watch material. In addition to being thrilling entertainment, it offers insight into an easily overlooked chapter of recent world history and taut moral dilemmas. The dramatization of Giles Foden's novel features two intense performances: James McAvoy plays the sometimes naive (and maybe a bit too enthralled by power) Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan, who becomes the personal physician of none other than Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Nicknamed “The Butcher of Uganda”, Amin is played by Academy Award-winning character actor Forest Whitaker, who perfectly captures his mood-swinging, crazy brutality. He also completely nails his Ugandan-English accent. An amazing watch!
Comments
Add a comment
Your name
Your comment
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
UP NEXT
More like this in
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)
A gamer with disability crafts a life and community in online roleplay in this unconventional, moving documentary
8.3
The Guilty (2018)
A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.
9.0
The Real Charlie Chaplin (2021)
This documentary expertly (and entertainingly) draws the complicated man behind the beloved caricature
7.8
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
A star-studded and riveting legal drama with a blockbuster feel.
8.1
System Crasher (2019)
A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.
9.0
Forgotten Love (2023)
The stunning third take of the classic Polish pre-war melodrama
7.7
His Three Daughters (2024)
Three sisters deal with life and death in this moving family portrait
8.9
The Merchant of Venice (2004)
Al Pacino does justice to a Shakespearian icon in this comedy turned drama
7.0
I Lost My Body (2019)
The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation
8.2
Incendies (2011)
Part melodrama, part war thriller, Incendies is gorgeous and heartbreaking from the first scene