The film begins in Scotland 1970 when Nicholas Garrigan graduates from medical school. The young man has no idea of the events that are about to take place in his life. He has no idea how his work will change history or where he will end up. Maybe if he did know then he wouldn't choose the path that he did decide to take. I suppose the thought of helping his father in the family's village doctor's practice didn't seem quite as exciting as working for Idi Amin as his personal physician. Nor did working in the family doctor's surgery pay quite as much in money or in favours. In fact, working for his father wouldn't really put him in the same seemingly glamorous position as the position in Uganda. After all for a young single man who hadn't travelled much in his life Uganda seemed much more glamorous and exciting than Scotland did. Amin made sure that everything was in place for Garrigan, set with a position in a foreign Country with everything paid for and all accommodation arranged as well as a passport it was no wonder he was tempted to swap his ordinary life for that, that seemed to offer so much more, but would inevitably lead to his downfall.

It could have been fate when Garrigan met Amin, but whatever it was that drew the pair together it would inevitably end in hardship. General Idi Amin as the film shows had many good things about him, but also many that were bad. One thing that Amin and Garrigan had in common was that they both admired everything that was Scottish. Amin was perhaps drawn to Garrigan because he was Scottish and their friendship grew from there. At times I wondered about General Idi Amin and just how sane he was. Being in such a powerful position must have played its toll, but there was a certain charm about him despite the horrendous atrocities he committed. There is no excuse for the torture he put his people through but, many times we see that people in power are like puppets. They are often driven by some other force and Amin was plagued by his dreams. Amin who loved everything about Scotland gave himself the name of King of Scotland. I guess that this could offend many Scottish people who are far away from the way Amin used his authority. Strange how Amin adored the Scottish yet hated the English. Amin did actually serve in the Scottish military for some time and four of his sons were given Scottish names.

At first life is wonderful for Nicholas Garrigan who plays Idi Amin's personal physician, but soon he realises that he is trapped in a nightmare where there is no escape. Performances are fantastic and award winning. General Idi Amin Dada of Uganda is a monstrous dictator. The material is a little unusual and at times the plot seems a little complex. However Fox Searchlight do present a wonderful film that is moving at all times. Although Amin can be charming he can turn at any given moment. He is drastically unfair to Garrigan who impressed him when he responded well to a roadside emergency. Little did Garrigan know the life he was buying into or the man whom he worked as personal physician. Garrigan is a strong man who stands up to Amin where others would not dare. Garrigan always speaks his mind and this is what Amin finds so impressive. Amin knows that he can always rely on Garrigan's opinion.

This film is an adaptation of a book and also inspired by historical events even though it is not completely based on truth it is a good representation. The film caught my imagination and was inspiring. The film carried along at a pace I could follow it wasn't too slow or too fast. I would recommend this film to anyone especially if you like historical films or true stories. It is a difficult film to watch and will probably make you cry so make sure you have tissues at hand.