Directed by and starring Mads Brügger, The Ambassador chronicles the events of Mr. Brügger as he attempts to reveal the political corruption that exists in one of the most dangerous places on earth, the Central African Republic (CRM). In the film, Mads purchases a Liberian ambassadorship for €150,000 and then turns his penthouse hotel, located in the capital Bangui, into his political headquarters. Once firmly inside the country, Mads starts to make connections with influential officials and people, building his cover story which involves building a match factory to help the economy of the state. At the same time, he clearly lays out his “actual” goal which involves a diamond deal that would allow him to leave the state with a bunch of diamonds, something that is highly illegal.
The persona Mads has built for the film is quite comical, and much like Sacha Baron Cohen in Borat, he is fully engulfed by it. His character is slightly racist, especially towards Asians, but also very charismatic and naive, using it all to his advantage at every possible moment so that he may fulfill his secret agenda of exposing the corrupt individuals he is dealing with, all of whom are trying to take advantage of him. Tack on a wardrobe reminiscent of something Teddy Roosevelt would wear while hunting and you’ve got a ridiculous looking picture that people end up embracing.
The film will be offensive to some, eye opening for most, and exciting for all. Like Cohen as Borat, Mads Brügger does not hold back and his actions help expose some ugly truths about the society in which we live and about the societies we don’t know much about. The film clearly points out how corruption and greed are powerful forces in the “failed” state and how far people are willing to go in order to keep the cash flowing into their pockets at the expense of a suffering nation. One thing is for sure, when this film circulates there will be some real life repercussions for those who were caught on camera. Hell, one of the guys Mads had meetings with was found dead, which shows that this country and the people that have a stake in its affairs are not to be toyed with. This sad and disappointing realization is made clear by Mads and other political figures throughout the film.
The worst part about the films is its video quality and audio issues, but since this is mostly undercover work I feel it should and can easily be overlooked in this instance. The best part of the film is the final 15-20 minutes where everything becomes clear and the danger level starts to escalate, playing more like a political thriller than a documentary.
Provocative, oddly charming and most definitely fearless, Mads Brügger’s The Ambassador is an exciting and intriguing exposé on the level of corruption and greed that permeates our society at the expense of those in failed ones.
Rating: A fascinating and provocative piece of undercover journalism (6.7/10)
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