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Article: Whitaker is Oscar worthy: Actor's multifaceted portrayal of Idi Amin is career-defining performance.
- Article from:
- AZ Daily Star
- Article date:
- January 18, 2007
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 The Arizona Daily Star. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Phil Villarreal
Jan. 18--This year, the road to the best-actor Oscar goes through Uganda.
Forest Whitaker presents a career-defining performance as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland," a harrowing political thriller. Whitaker unveils a range he's hardly hinted at in a career largely made up of background roles. He shifts from jovial teddy bear to maniacal bull in an instant, at once displaying the intimidation and charisma of an evil but undeniably colorful figure. Whitaker plays Amin as a self-aggrandizing fool, an affable buddy and a fire-eyed murderer, sometimes all at the same time. Amin's regime killed 300,000 ...