Helllins It is both painfully honest and laugh-out-loud funny at the same time.

Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

McEwansExported Forest steals the show. Compelling performance, utterly believable.McAvoy is typically weak when in the company of better actors and this film was no different as he came across as immature and a bit of a ham. Also, Anderson's role was a bit confusing, not sure what she was doing in the film. typically she is quite a strong actor but her character was so limited she did not get a chance to shine.McBurney was also very good along with Washington. Both embraced their characters perfectly and it was good the later part of the movie featured more of them to offset McAvoy.The story was great and the cinematography outstanding. Pace was spot on as was the sense of imminent menace.If you have the opportunity to watch this on a home cinema projector sized screen, you will be thoroughly rewarded.Visually stunning film with sense of peril supported by outstanding acting, except for McAvoy. Robert Carlyle would have been better choice.

SlyGuy21 Out of all the evil dictators of the world, Idi Amin is one I'm not too familiar with. That being said, I imagine the movie's fairly accurate to who he was in real life. If nothing else, you should see this movie for Forest Whitaker's performance. It's one of those performances where you actually feel the actor is the character they're portraying. Like Denzel Washington in "Malcolm X" or Anthony Hopkins in "Silence of the Lambs". He's charming, flamboyant, but also unpredictable. The whole movie has this sense of dramatic irony to it. You know that Amin is a terrible human being, but you're not sure what he's going to do when he's on screen. It's a fantastic performance from Forest Whitaker, and definitely worthy of the Oscar he won.

luke-a-mcgowan Holds up very well on rewatch. 1. The opening scenes in Scotland are vital, and indicative of how director Kevin McDonald and screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock set their movie up. Within two minutes of meeting Nicholas' boring and self-satisfied father, we're desperate for the young doctor to get away from a stale life at home for some adventure. McDonald leaves out any sound but the drone of his voice, and keeps the like dim and bleak as a contrast to the colour and noise of Africa. The way that Nicholas lands on Canada first is not only humorous but stops the film feeling like a make believe story. Sometimes those little things can improve a film's authenticity.2. Forest Whitaker's performance in this film is not only one of the best black performances ever put to screen, it is one of the single best acting performances of all time. Only Daniel Day-Lewis in There Will Be Blood eclipses him. I have no doubt that the real Whitaker is a very gentle man, which shows through when Amin shows laughter or friendliness. But when Amin has one of his many mood swings, he's a terrifying monster, with his imposing physical form, impeccable Ugandan shout and overbearing presence. 3. Without the film's screenplay, however, this film would've been very by-the-numbers. The writing and placement of Nicholas make us fearful of Amin ourselves, the way he gives a little too much credit to Nicholas, the way he does not respond to small talk, the way he comes into Nicholas' room with no respect for his privacy. By the time Nicholas' passport is stolen and replaced, we can practically feel Amin's iron grip around our chests.4. James McAvoy's performance is one I took for granted on first viewing, but appreciated so much more the second time. Its quite unlike what McAvoy is best known for, and refreshingly unnoble and more than a bit arrogant. He is an arrogant, ponce school boy dropped way out of his league in Uganda. Even as people try to tell him about Amin's evils, his naive ideals keep him from seeing the truth. At no point do we question Nicholas' intelligence, because he's a fully realised character whose decisions are logical for him. 5. The toxic relationship between Amin and Nicholas is central to the film. He's getting praise for things he doesn't deserve, then he's being told to mind his business. He's not just a doctor, then he's just a doctor. Every time Amin says Nicholas is his adviser, we don't feel it - the one time Nicholas makes an order we can feel the shaky authority. 6. The subplot of the Cabinet Minister Jonah Wasswa is likely the strongest in the film. It foreshadows how easily Amin throws aside his advisors and demonstrates Amin's madness that he would execute a man on the mere suspicion of unsubstantiated wrongdoing. The subplot of Nicholas' affair with Kay is a close second. Some might complain that the flirtation with the doctor's wife at the start of the film is superfluous, but its a sensational foreshadow of his affair with Kay later in the movie. 7. Kerry Washington is almost unrecognisable as Kay, a completely unsexy and raw performance as the neglected and ostracised wife. Yet her chemistry with McAvoy somehow still causes sparks...and it works. David Oyelowo is also brilliant as a Doctor Junju.8. The British agent played by Simon McBurney is also brilliant. From his first appearance, we get a nasty impression that he's smug and self-important, and when Nicholas finally breaks and goes to him for help all of his past behaviour fits in. 9. Amin's torture of Garrigan consists of some of the most wrenching torture scenes since Misery.10. The film drags slightly towards the end, but as a whole its a remarkably satisfying experience. The way it works in fiction around fact is an achievement in itself.

dentrex I said it years ago. Forrest Whittaker was bound to get an Oscar somewhere along the line. I never thought it would be for lead actor, because "the part" wasn't coming his way.It came - and the rest was history. From Platoon, to the unbearable Fouth Angel and beyond, every part, every role was polished and precise. A true pro who got the big one. I love it.Macalvoy is also cast perfectly and plays out well as his character, and shows us it is much more multifaceted than we thought. Very nice work.The film itself has that low-budget feel, but as is the case it makes everyone work harder to make it shine. Six million dollars ain't what it used to be.Amazing acting and a great story from a great book. A must see for true Forrest fans and everyone.