The Ambassador (1985)

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Expected more

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

The Ambassador (1984) ** (out of 4)Well-meaning but incredibly over-active thriller has Robert Mitchum playing the American ambassador to Israel who is trying to bring peace in the Middle East. While him and his security advisor (Rock Hudson) are getting shot at, his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is banging a man (Fabio Testi) but neither one realizes that some terrorists are video taping their love sessions to blackmail the ambassador. Pretty soon it is revealed that the wife's lover might have terrorist ties himself.Cannon was known for releasing countless action pictures that were usually rather mindless and just exploited the various subjects that they were covering. Film like DEATH WISH II, MISSING IN ACTION and AMERICAN NINJA were among the studios most popular pictures but THE AMBASSADOR is something completely different. It's clear that Cannon wanted to send a message to the Middle East that peace was possible but unfortuantly for them the movie just went off the rails so to speak. This picture simply tried to do way too much and in the end it's pretty much a complete mess.The film is really all over the place in regards to what it's trying to do and it almost seems as if no one could agree on what to do with the picture. It starts off with some incredibly wild and over-the-top action scenes and so far so good. Then you've got a rather sleazy sex scene between Burstyn and Testi, which includes the actress doing some nudity. Again, so far it's fun. You then get into an incredibly long political drama about the whole peace idea and then there's some shocking and incredibly bloody violence that pops up at the end. All the while Mitchum and Hudson are trying to uncover this terrorist plot and get the sex tape back before it reaches the media.I'm going to guess Cannon really wanted a serious drama but there wasn't a way to make money on that alone so additional bits of action were thrown in. Thompson, who was working in mainly "B" pictures at this time, manages to build up some nice action but the drama of the story is downright weak and the "message" of the movie is a bit silly to say the least. The film just never really packs a punch or builds up any sort of tension so the non-stop political talk eventually gets boring and when Mitchum's character isn't worried about the sex tape then why should the viewer be?The film benefits from its terrific cast and that alone makes it worth sitting through. I think had Mitchum and Hudson switched roles the film might have been better but it was still fun seeing them together. Burstyn in good in her role of the wife and Testi is always dependable. You've also got Donald Pleasence so that's another plus. The film's violent climax features some gory shots that I'm sure shocked most people at the time of the film's release unless they were fans of slashers and were already used to it.In the end, THE AMBASSADOR has its heart in the right place but it just never fully comes together.

Robert Mitchum stars as the U.S. ambassador to Israel who is trying to broker a peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Hardliners on both sides don't want that to happen, so there are assassination attempts, blackmail threats, car chases and terrorists bombings. All that, and I still found time to yawn.Co-starring Rock Hudson (in his final film), Ellen Burstyn (who, at 52, has several nude scenes), Donald Pleasence, Italian star Fabio Testi and lots of local Israeli acting talent. Mitchum looks more bored than usual, and he reportedly spent half of the film sloshed. He and Hudson didn't get along, and Hudson was already starting to suffer the failing health that would end his life less than a year later. Some of the action has spark, but most is perfunctory, and there's not much depth to the geopolitical musings. For completists only.Go watch the documentary on Cannon Films. It is probably as good as or better than anything they ever produced, and it is a hoot.

***SPOILERS*** While US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Israel Peter Hacker, Robert Mitchum, while sticking his neck out to bring peace between the Isralies & Palestinians his old lady Alex played by Ellen Burstyn in what seemed to be her first and last nude scene-Thank God-was having a wild affair with Palestine businessman Mustapha Hashimi, Fabio Testi, who's secretly a major mover and shaker of the dreaded PLO-Palestine Liberation Organization-who's stated policy is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. This jeopardized Hacker's standing in the US diplomatic community when a film surfaced of Alex & Mustapha romping nude together in bed and doing it-You know-that was being used to blackmail her husband Ambassador Hacker demanding $1,000,000.00 from the blackmailer to keep it from going public! That's by it being shown on nation wide during half-time at the upcoming Super Bowl football game!Hacker not willing or unable, he's too cheap and really couldn't care less, to pay the hush money has his friend and security chief Frank Stevenson, Rock Hudson, track down the source of the film and get the original negative for whatever the asking price is and burn it to keep it from seeing the light of day or better yet TV cameras. While this is happening Hacker has far more pressing business to attend to in him bringing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians which he's more then willing to risk his life in doing far more then trying to save his already failing marriage! ***SPOILERS*** It's when Hacker finally gets both the Israelis and Palestinians together to talk things over at an old Roman ruin outside Jerusalem that all hell breaks out. A faction of the PLO organized by KGB operative Stone,Shmulik Kraus, set an ambush for the two warring groups and gunned down more then a 100 of them together with Mustapha Hashimi, who set up the meeting, before the IDF-Israel Defense Force-came on the scene to stop the bloodshed. As for Ambassador Hacker, who survived the carnage, he together with his wife Alex took the first flight back to the USA too cool their heels and try to forget all what they just went through! P.S As for the footage of the wild affair between Alex & Mustapha Stevenson got a hold of it and was ready to give it to Hacker to do with it whatever he wanted to with it who told Stevenson to keep it and entertain himself in watching it!

Robert Mitchum plays the title role of The Ambassador and in this case he's the American Ambassador to Israel. He's got the notion in his head that if he can get the Arab and Israeli students dialoging, it might lead the way to eventual peace. Of course there are malevolent forces on all sides that don't want to see that happen.But that's not Mitchum's only problem. His wife Ellen Burstyn has embarked on a torrid love affair with an Arab, played by Fabio Testi, who turns out to be a big honcho in the Palentine Liberation Organization. And somebody's been taking some nasty home movies of them doing the horizontal mambo. Setting up Mitchum for blackmail and embarrassment whichever comes first.Playing the supporting role of Mitchum's Embassy security chief is Rock Hudson and this was to be his last feature film. As the film progresses the strain on Hudson's health is becoming apparent. It was not a happy shoot and the results show it. Mitchum and Hudson did not get along particularly. According to Lee Server's biography, Mitchum spent most of the time getting plastered more than normal. Ellen Burstyn supposedly took a sample of what he was drinking and was shocked to find it real booze. But Mitchum was legendary for holding his liquor.I can see why Mitchum wasn't particularly happy with the film. His role is essentially that of a well meaning fathead who thinks he has all the answers to the Middle-east. Hudson took his role strictly for the cash, because he was having increased medical expenses from what would kill him a year later.Being it's a Golan-Globus film the usual quota of violence is present. When you do a film about the Middle-east, that's almost a requirement for a picture. Still the location cinematography in Israel certainly helps.Too bad that Mitchum and Hudson could not find a nice western to do as a joint project.