Caffeinated Clint
For “The Last King of Scotland” DVD
I get a call from the Foxy FOXes asking if I was available to interview Kevin Macdonald, acclaimed documentary director and helmer of the recent Forest Whitaker Oscar winner, ‘The Last King of Scotland’. I thought the movie was a really well executed piece of filmmaking and wanted to own a copy for myself. The kind folks at Fox inform me that a Special Ed DVD is being released, so couriered me a copy to view before my meeting with the director in London.
The DVD for ‘The Last King of Scotland’ is a worthwhile purchase. Naturally, you have the movie itself, but also; Audio Commentary by Director Kevin Macdonald. Some neat moving menus. 7 Deleted Scenes with additional Kevin Macdonald commentary. A theatrical trailer. A neat featurette with Forest Whitaker on his Idi Amin role. A great documentary entitled ‘Capturing Idi Amin’ and another program from the Fox Movie Channel entitled ‘Casting Sessions’. All on the one disc! Great stuff.
The movie, as you may very well recall, stars Oscar Winner Forest Whitaker as the mad Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, mixing fact and fiction in this powerful 1970’s set thriller. The film teams Whitaker with James McAvoy, who portrays a naïve young doctor, recently qualified and in search of adventure. An almost unrecogniseable Gillan Anderson also features, alongside Kerry Washington and Simon McBurney. The movie is based on Giles Foden’s award winning novel of the same name.
I arrive to an extremely rain-drenched London. I hadn’t been here since early December when I was living here. Despite the rain soaking my jacket, I missed this place like hell. Usually, I’m a Groucho Club kinda guy, but the interviews were taking place at Soho House, so I swung on in and met the familiar PR girls. (thanks to Lou and Ella at Freud). I head into the Blue Drawing Room and greet Kevin Macdonald and also author Giles Foden. I was either late or some guys were damn early as the interview was already taking place.
“You’ve come just in time for some food, my friend!” Bellowed Giles. “Please, dig in, there’s more than enough.” Already, I’m feeling welcomed and made to feel at ease. I’d never met Macdonald before. I’ve seen his brother, producer Andrew (Sunshine, Trainspotting, 28 Days Later) and met many of the admirable DNA Films people. I think it had been a long day so far for him and that possibly Giles was liking the process more. He’s naturally a busy man and was receiving text messages every other question.
I didn’t have my dictaphone, so scrawled my many notes down hurriedly balanced between gobbling down mini sausages and potato wedges.
I felt the vibrating pulse of my cell phone buzzing like crazy within my jean pocket. I ignored it, but a few seconds later, one of the PR girls whispered to me, telling me I was very sneaky by coming in earlier and gaining an hour with the guys instead of my allotted time. “Well done!” Boomed Giles. Kevin beamed a youthful smile, shaking his head. “Two for the price of one. Enjoy.” He said.
Kevin and I talk briefly about other projects, including my own. We’re close to disclosing and swapping a coupla Hollywood celeb stories, before another journalist enters the room.
Apart from that fairly rude journo interrupting me at any given moment, I was now the only one asking the two men about their movie ‘The Last King of Scotland’.
What appealed you to the project first, Kevin? Was it the novel or the script? How did you get involved initially?
Kevin Macdonald: I had always wanted to make a film in Africa. My brother, Andrew knew this and he works with Andrea Calderwood. Andrea, the producer, had optioned Giles’ book and recommended it to me. I knew it was the right project really.
Giles, where did the desire come from for you to write a book about Idi Amin?
Giles Foden: I lived in Africa for many, many years. I grew up there and my parents worked out there. I had to write something about a powerful figure and.. well.. Amin..
*Remember, it’s not only myself who is interrupted by the rude journo, but the guys we’re both trying to interview.
Kevin, was Forest Whitaker you first choice for the role of Amin?
Kevin Macdonald: I met a lot of actors. Many unknowns. From everywhere. Forest’s name was brought to me and I felt could he do it? He comes across a very sensitive guy. I met with him and he really wanted the role. He even auditioned, which is so rare for an actor of his caliber. – He comes from the method style of acting… which is all about emotion and not much thinking.. he remained in character. He would speak to his wife on the phone and she had this Ugandan number programmed in, so whenever it flashed up when he called, she’d know it was from Uganda and not answer to Idi Amin. – It was quite odd as on the plane home, we heard this amazing laugh and I asked ‘who is that?’ Somebody told me it was Forest. We’d not seen him like that and we knew there and then that Amin had gone from his system.
How was it working with your brother, Andrew, who executive produced the film?
Kevin Macdonald: It was good. I hadn’t directed a feature film before and certainly not with screen actors. I’d only worked documentaries. I knew Danny Boyle through my brother and asked him for some advice. He gave me a quick directing master-class. I was expecially concerned about the sex scene we had to do, so Danny told me how to handle that. It was all very quick. He was a great help.
I loved the soundtrack music running through the movie. Can you tell me how you came to choose it?
Giles Foden: Wonderful. Good music.
Kevin Macdonald: I wanted to capture the whole 1970’s feel and.. there were musicians all around us on set playing and that had an influence on me. I wanted a lot of Afro Funk and dance. I didn’t want it to be modern at all. It had to be of that time and by Ugandan artists.
Did you encounter any hostilities at all when you were in Uganda?
Kevin Macdonald: No. None at all. The people of Uganda are so friendly. They were so so friendly towards us.
I noticed British reporter Jon Snow featured in a documentary on the DVD….
Kevin Macdonald: – Yes.. Jon.. Jon had known and met Amin.. he said to me ‘if you make the film as weird and bizarre and unbelievable as you possibly can, you’ll never come anywhere near as close to the real Amin.
Giles Foden: You’re right. He was a showman. He was so bizarre.
Giles, the James McAvoy character is a fictional one. Was it your intention to have an amalgamation of the many British men who briefly worked alongside Amin?
Giles Foden: No. I mean, I knew there were a few people, but the character just developed and I didn’t know about too many of the men who worked with Idi. I had all these facts about him and wanted to place a fictional man in there.
Kevin, you’re currently involved in the movie ‘State of Play’. Can you tell me anything more on the progress of that?
*Kevin smiles and shakes his head at me, releasing a slight, short laugh.
Kevin Macdonald: Well, as YOU know, it stars Brad Pitt as a journalist. It’s based on an existing television series shown a few years ago, which was very well received. I’m.. er.. I’m currently casting other roles, but that’s about it. Brad is the only role cast at the moment. It’s being filmed in New York, Washington and..
How did you get Brad Pitt in that?
Kevin Macdonald: Brad apparently liked my documentary ‘Touching The Void’… Yeah.
Other Journo: I rock climb too.
Giles Foden: Really? Good.
And is there any truth to you being on board the Warner Brothers’ movie ‘28th Ammendment’ and it having Richard Donner as your producer?
Kevin MacDonald: No. It’s just.. It’s just wrong information on the internet.
Giles Foden: Sausage?
I eat another sausage and then receive a bulk rucksack in my face from the journo all so keen to up and leave. I stay and chat with Kevin for a few minutes discussing ’28 Weeks Later’ (another DNA Films production, produced by his brother Andrew).
I’d like to thank Katy at Fox and once again Lou and Ella at Freud. Always kind and full of smiles behind the stressed go go go occupation.
– MUDDY FITZGERALD
Muddy Fitzgerald is a contributor from the U.K – he’s a die-hard fan of action movies. Bruce Willis has a restraining order against him, so we hear. He’d like to thank Twentieth Century Fox in the UK for this opportunity
