The Last King Of Scottland

Kevin Macdonald's Bob Marley Documentary Still Coming; Jimi Hendrix Film Gets ...

“We are working on his documentary, which should be out in the fall. I am producing the documentary and Kevin Macdonald will direct it. People are going to have not only the connection that you have now with the Bob Marley legend, but it will also show the emotional side of our father. The emotion of Bob throughout his life experiences is a pretty pertinent thing. It is not just about his music.”

This project has had a rather lengthy development process, as it was originally set to be helmed by Martin Scorsese , before Jonathan Demme took it over. It eventually ended up in Macdonald ‘s hands, and now it’s getting primed for a release. There’s a lot of material that they have to work with — both in terms of his music and personal life — and he has a wide fanbase, so I imagine there are some high expectations out there when it comes to this. As someone who’s a Marley neophyte, I don’t anticipate this from the perspective of a fan, but rather someone who enjoys a good doc when it comes along; at the end of the day, that’s what I hope this ends up being.

Meanwhile, another movie about a legendary musician is also moving along, although this happens to be a narrative feature. This, a movie about the life of Jimi Hendrix that would star OutKast frontman Andre Benjamin (also known as Andre 3000 ), is different than a project that had Paul Greengrass and Anthony Mackie attached, which fell apart when the musician’s estate didn’t approve of the project. Benjamin has had another one going for a while, and now Hayley Atwell has said that it is in fact moving forward with him attached.

Talking to Esquire (via ThePlaylist ), the actress said that the movie is “possibly” next, saying that it was an “independent film with Andre 3000 from OutKast playing Jimi Hendrix .” She’s not entirely sure if she’ll be doing it, and didn’t mention who she might play, but the actor’s involvement wasn’t mentioned in a doubtful fashion.

R-Views: The Last King of Scotland

Growing up in post Operation Jonathan ’s Israel, Idi Amin’s was a household name. Upon asking adults about him I remember being told he used to be an ally of Israel but then did an unexpected hundred and eighty on “us”. Have no worry, though: Amin paid the price for his betrayal, or so I was told. All of which is funny to recollect when, as an adult, I read on how Amin killed 300,000 of his own people while in power; this sort of Israeli centric worldview that ignores the real issues can put most if not all of Israel’s actions and behaviors into perspective. The Last King of Scotland attempts to shed more light on Amin’s character. Not from the Israeli point of view this time, and not even from the conventional point of view historians often take and documentaries adopt. For this 2006 release, the point of view is that of Amin’s personal doctor while in power, a character called Dr. Nicholas Garrigan. Do not ask me whether Garrigan’s character is real or fictional; even if history did have a Garrigan at Amin’s side, I doubt his story would have been accurately converted to the big screen. We meet a young Dr Garrigan (James McAvoy) upon his graduation. Coming from a demanding family and having spent years under the pressure of demanding studies, our young doctor is in for something different. He volunteers to help in Uganda, where his womanizing almost allows him to avoid digesting the hardships around. When Amin (Forest Whitaker) comes to power and the two bump, a strange relationship develops. Garrigan falls for the seemingly charming ruler, and against the call of everyone else and despite Amin’s obvious eccentricities believes this figure really does intend to make the world better. Amin, on his side, likes a yes man fanboy by his side, especially if he’s Scottish and lacks local ties; he helps the doctor remain loyal by spoiling him. However, us viewers know our history, so the question turns into how long this relationship can survive. The Last King of Scotland is very well made, directed as it is by Kevin Macdonald (he did the equally slick State of Play ). The acting by the two leads in particular helps deliver the historical message as well as the human story, but as far as I was concerned I could not stop thinking of the Israeli centric worldview I grew up on. You have to hand it to the Palestinians, they sure know how to pick the right allies to promote their cause with the public.

The Last King of Scotland

The last king of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland

Films Directed by Kevin MacDonald, The Last King of Scotland, the Eagle of the Ninth, One Day in September, Touching the Void, Being Mick

The chronicles of England, France and Spain, and the adjoining countries, from the latter part of the reign of Edward II, to the coronation of Henry IV.