Upon graduating medical school in the 70s, Nicholas Garrigan, terrified of having a boring Scottish life, spins a globe and goes to the country he lands on: Uganda. There, he's doing the very good work of a doctor in a small, poor village. A chance encounter with Amin, who we all know by now is played by Forest Whitaker, starts the boy down the path of politics, where his convictions are tested in an ever murkier quagmire of events.

    While it's called 'The Last King of Scotland', a title Amin gives himself, James McAvoy is the real star. He's doughy eyed when we begin, he wants to help and thinks that by being in the president's inner circle and the "most trusted advisor" to his eventual disillusionment as he discovers the dark secrets of the president and finds himself trapped into a situation he wanted nothing to do with. Nick is a man of no conviction. He's taken the Hippocratic oath, obviously, but beyond that, he believes in little and treats his tenure with Amin as a game until he returns home, safe and sound in Scotland. He's like a lot of twenty-somethings I know, myself included, who find ourselves in deep situations without ever realizing the shovel we're carrying in our hands.

    What else is there to say about Forest Whitaker? He "is" Amin. He is charismatic, charming and conniving. The perfect politician. He also has an army behind him, enforcing the peace and disposing of the opposition. The funny thing about his performance is that it's more a supporting role. Following in many other film's steps, such as 'Dances With Wolves' and 'The Last Samurai', the main focus of the film is a white guy. Thankfully, there's no outrage because, hey, at least this all happened. When Nick and Idi first meet, you can understand why Nick would be enraptured with the new president. They talk about Scotland, and how it's Amin's favorite country beside Uganda and Nick, fresh out of school and not discerning enough, buys into the charm and wit Amin shows him.

    A supporting cast helps to ensure it's not the Nick and Idi show, but they serve only as outside influence, such as a bitter British ambassador who tells Nick the reality of the situation. Gillian Anderson plays a perfunctory role as the object of Nick's lust in the beginning and is sadly cast aside, only to show up briefly towards the end in a touching character moment that helps Nick realize what has happened to him.

    The film is unflinching and accomplishes what nearly all horror films over the past few years has failed to: sickened me. You'll realize the scene when you come to it. It's the aftereffect of what probably was a violent torture, but it gives you an insight into how twisted and paranoid Amin has become by the end. Because the person killed is not just some perfunctory throwaway character.

    Tensions build up slowly, we're given a snippet of information about the cruelty of Amin: a person disappears, there're reports of killing, Amin kills someone and by the end, our hearts are pounding when Nick is exposed and we're hoping, praying that somehow, some way, he'll find his way out. The final few minutes in which Amin cruelly tortures a man, then addresses a crowd of Palestinian hostages with a huge smile, is worth the price of admission.

    Now the big question: does Whitaker deserve the Oscar? Yes, yes he does. Though really a supporting role, like Anthony Hopkins in 'The Silence of the Lambs', he steals every scene he's in, eats them, spits them out and then makes them his bitch. He is simply dazzling and this is the role he was born for. And if any paper wants to print that, then let 'em. It's true. Sure, it makes for a "bad" Best Actor race, but when someone puts this much effort and energy to make a truly three dimensional, real and brutal character, you can't fault him. So we don't get an exciting show…so what?

    Certainly not a film for everyone, especially those with weak stomachs, 'The Last King of Scotland' is a telling, touching and haunting view of an African dictator through the eyes of one of the many thousands who was seduced by his smile and words. Idi Amin will be remembered as a monster, but damn if he wasn't a monster who couldn't charm and seduce you.