The Last King of Scotland

Advantages: Great acting, story to be told
Disadvantages: Gruesome

...The Last King of Scotland is a story, inspired by real people and events about the life of the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. The film came out in 2006 and was one that I really enjoyed. In my opinion it's well portrayed, beautifully acted, tense and gripping and one you really have to watch. Idi Amin is played by Forest Whitaker and he gives a truly haunting portrail. He's really quite scary in this film at the same time as being really captivating and interesting and it's no coincidence that people fall for his charms. I think he actually bears a little resembalance to the dictator himself and so this definitely made the look and character more believeable. In fact, it's not jsut me who thinks Forest did a great job. He won the Best Actor award at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild and the BAFTAs for his role...

Spottydog11 14.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Last King Of Scotland (DVD)

Uganda or Scotland?

Advantages: Great performances, Tense, Compelling viewing
Disadvantages: Factually inaccurate

...One of the most misleading film/book titles ever in my opinion! So what is the film about? Is it any good? ------------------------------------------------------- This is the tale of how the films protagonist Dr Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is taken under the wing of Ugandan president, Idi Amin (Forrest Whitaker). Amin just so happens to be a brutal dictator with a bit of a problem with trusting people. Garrigan had just finished university and felt like he was trapped into following on in exactly the same manner as his father, being a doctor in Scotland. He decided he needed to make a clean break and therefore flew out to Uganda for serving both the purposes of being great help to the health of the locals and also to gain some sense of adventure. On a chance meeting, Amin expresses his somewhat bizarre love of Scotland...

shanediablo 19.06.2008 · Read review
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Review of The Last King Of Scotland (DVD)

My time in Scotland

Advantages: too many too list
Disadvantages: hmm, hardly any, it's just different and that's why I went there!

...My experience with Scotland I've spent two wonderful months in Scotland in summer of 2005, it seems so far away, but when I look at the pictures, I'm right back there...It was a wonderful experience both from the view of a tourist as well as a language student. I did think my English was kind of good even back then, but coming to western Scotland was a bit of a shock as the accent and dialect people speak there was much more difficult for me to understand than let's say how they talk in London. Ok, so for the first week or so I had to keep my ears super opened and concentrate on everything they said. That was both frustrating as I had a job there and this was an extra hurdle to cope with, but also great fun as I have learnt (and by now also forgotten most of it, I admit) some dialect and I tried to absorb their accent. I loved...

jeaniecz 15.07.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Scotland

My journey through Scotland in 9 days

Advantages: See my review
Disadvantages: See my review

...Before I begin this review, I'd like to underline the fact that I first published this text on the French version of ciao! last August. I translate it now and may change some points. What's more, it's the first time I write an opinion in the "travel" section of ciao.co.uk so I may lack method and organization. I've decided to deal with my travel through Scotland day after day. ۞ Before leaving : For various reasons, goig to Scotland has been something I've been wanting to do for a few years (discovery, hearing the Scottish accent, knowing if I'll be able to understand it and be understood by the locals). With three other people, we had been seriously talking about it for at least six months when we decided on the dates of our journey. At the end of July, 2008 we were off to Scotland ... We left early...

lily80 16.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of General: Scotland

Bank of Scotland for Students

Advantages: Biggest overdraft, branches are plentiful, great service
Disadvantages: Can't think of any!

...I'm a student and chose the Bank of Scotland mainly because they offered the largest interest free overdraft - In my first year I didn't need this, but I'm thankful that I took it as its proved very handy this year (2nd year) I originally wanted to go with Lloyds - but they said I couldn't bank with them because no member of my family banked with them (great business model) - I hope they go bust now. But them I'm glad they did, because I got to go with Bank of Scotland! Online banking is a breeze - I have two credit cards with the Bank of Scotland, and everything it managed from the one portal. It's secure, easy to use and doesn't require you to write down your password and pick the 7th, 11th and 12th letters from it just to log in. Telephone banking is also relatively easy - with a trusting scottish accent on the automated...

Diablo666 08.03.2008 (12.08.2008) · Read review
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Review of Bank of Scotland Accounts

Never Trust A Rich Stranger - The Last King Of Scotland DVD

Advantages: Great strong story, memorable characters, wonderful performances and a powerful film.
Disadvantages: Plot at times a bit complex and I cannot remember the soundtrack.

...Belonging to a film club I get to see a lot of films. In fact, watching films is one of my favourite pastimes. Recently I watched ?The Last King of Scotland?. It is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel. It tells the fictional tale of Dr Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy). He is a young Scottish doctor who visits Uganda and meets with dictator Idi Amin (Forest Whitaker). On meeting Idi Amin he soon becomes his personal physician and this is where the story begins. The film is based around actual events of Amin's dictatorship. 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...

Mickie26 26.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Last King Of Scotland (DVD)

The most beautiful place in Scotland

Advantages: A great getaway place for relaxation
Disadvantages: Is a small island so is limiting

...**What Is It?** The Isle of Islay lyes on the West Coast of Scotland. This beautiful little Island hosts everything from distilleries to wildlife to golf. An amazing get away. **My Personnel Experience** My first trip to Islay was when i was only 8. I don't really remember it that well but i remember absolutely loving it! Then over the years i have been 4 times more and now that i'm 15 (getting close to 16) i hope to go again. Islay is very special to me, as all my other friends went to Spain or the USA, I was living it up on a 4 degrees beach! But still loved it. **How Do You Pronounce That?** When i first when to Islay i wasn't all that sure how to say it as you could say it the Scots Gaelic way 'Eye-la' or the English way which is 'Eye-lay' So really as long as you say it one or the other you should be fine and not confuse...

scotlandizdabest 15.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of Isle of Islay (Scotland)

Three Weeks In Scotland

Advantages: the landscape
Disadvantages: the weather

...Clearing a bookshelf I found the diary my friend and I had written when hitch-hiking through Scotland in 1964 (!), let me warn you, this op is a bit on the longish side, if you´re in a hurry, you´d better pass on . . . My friend from uni and I had come to London at the beginning of August to take part in a language course, but something went wrong and we could only begin in September. We had our youth hostel cards with us and a small rucksack each (backpacking hadn´t been invented yet), so we decided to go on a hitch-hiking tour. Where to? Why not to Scotland? We didn´t know anything about the country besides its position north of England and the usual clichés, we bought a road map and off we went. Crossing the border was disappointing! We, continental Europeans who had already travelled abroad had distinct ideas about what...

MALU 08.06.2004 · Read review
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Review of General: Scotland

Whistle stop tour of the West of Scotland!

Advantages: Stunning scenery, peace and tranquility
Disadvantages: Midges at some times of years!

...Majestic mountains, dense forests, babbling burns through peaceful glens, deep mysterious lochs, hidden coves, grazing deer, a soaring eagle, empty white sandy beaches, I could go on and on, because our few days in the west of Scotland have had all this and much more too. Failte. That is welcome in Gaelic, the greeting you see as you enter many of the places in the West Highlands of Scotland, and a very warm welcome we had everywhere we went on our few days break. We travelled on a Sunday, passing through Glasgow and heading over the Erskine bridge, through Helensburgh along the Firth of Clyde, then on the shores of Gare Loch and Loch Long, climbing up to Arrochar. This we realised was to be a holiday of Lochs and forests! My husband was singing his repertoire of Scottish songs by then, and ?Yon bonny banks? and ?Ye tak the high...

jo145 17.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of The West Coast (Scotland)

A visit to Scotland Street

Advantages: Entertaining, a light read
Disadvantages: Plot was a bit thin

...for my Birthday in 05, so it?s been kicking round at home for a while. I?m a vociferous reader but managed to avoid this for some reason, I just didn?t fancy it. I?d heard of Alexander McCall Smith, read the back cover and the preface but something about it just didn?t float my boat. Anyway, last week I was flying down to Melbourne for a meeting and I have a problem with always buying new books at the airport. I was determined not to do it on this occasion so I went to my shelves and noticed this. I was still unsure but my resolve not to buy anything new was strong so I picked it up and off I went. 44 Scotland Street was not written in the same way as a normal novel. The Scotsman newspaper actually published it as a daily serial over 6 months in 2004. This meant the author was writing trying to make something happen in every instalment...

Looby5 24.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of 44 Scotland Street - Alexander McCall Smith