1. Dr. Nicholas Garrigan - The Last King Of Scotland
The Last Kind of Scotland, released in 2006 and directed by Kevin MacDonald, stars Forest Whitaker as dictator Idi Amin and James McAvoy as Nicolas Garrigan, who - after recently graduating from medical student - quickly become a trusted confident of Amin. With the film following the atrocities of Amins early presidential reign, it isnt shy of depicting Amin as a truly narcissistic human being... one who isnt afraid to demonstrate violence upon those who appose him. From a subjective perspective, this performance is McAvoy's greatest and most accomplished to date. We need somebody to guide us through this often harrowing movie, and McAvoy proves himself to be just the right man for the job. While Whitakers performance is arguably the tour de force of the movie, McAvoy is certainly underrated by comparison. Whitaker exudes the evil and terror that Amin represents, juxtaposing that of McAvoy more morally-centred, sympathetic character. Each bounce of the others characteristics to communicate the material with conviction and convey the tone of the screenplay incredibly well, and while is was Whitaker who walked away with the plaudits, McAvoy is just as powerful in his approach to the role. The Last King of Scotland propelled McAvoy into the Hollywood mainstream. McAvoy demonstrated that he was ready to lead - and as Atonement proved a year later - his performance here was certainly no fluke.