Have you ever thought about what happens when Hollywood dares to stray off the beaten path? Enter "Ambition," a bold 1991 film featuring Lou Diamond Phillips, that shakes up the status quo by intertwining ambition, morality, and mystery into one gripping tale. Directed by Scott D. Goldstein, this hidden gem centers around Mitchell Osgood, played by Phillips, a wannabe thriller writer living in a world where people seem a bit too comfortable beneath their own moral compass.
Because Why Not?
Let’s start with the plot because it’s juicier than a ripe watermelon at a county fair. Mitchell Osgood, who figures the road to fame is through his typewriter, writes thrillers and aspires for great acclaim. And what’s the most intriguing part? Osgood isn’t just writing about crimes; he finds himself planning them just to get the plot that audiences can't resist. It’s an outlandishly ambitious concept that should resonate with anyone who’s ever felt stifled by the ordinary.A Jigsaw Puzzle Missing a Piece
"Ambition" grabs you like it’s caught you eavesdropping at a dinner party. It keeps you second-guessing what's happening, who did what, and where the heck this is all leading. Viewers are thrown into an intellectual maze that's perfectly laid out for those who can see beyond standard narrative expectations. It’s a movie that leaves you pondering if the end, if it ever truly ends, is simply the start of something much, much deeper.Setting Your Ideals Aflame
As Phillips brings Osgood to life, the film challenges us to assess our ideals of ambition and morality. It doesn’t spoon-feed viewers with black-and-white answers, which is an art a bit too refined for today's virtue signaling SJW movie critics. Instead, "Ambition" plunges you into the ethical gray area and leaves you there to either flourish or perish.Igniting a Spark in the Unlikely
Let’s be honest—what draws us to the movie isn't just the plot or the deeper meaning—it’s the audacity. The audacity of Mitchell Osgood and his unconventional, albeit lunatic, dedication to his craft. This starts a conversation that many aren’t ready to have: What lengths would you go to achieve your dreams?Cinematic Anarchy
"Ambition" spits in the face of safe storytelling. Hollywood typically loves its paint-by-numbers narratives, yet this film indiscriminately swaps numbers for colors and tells you to finger paint a future beyond anyone's imagination. It's that rare kind of tale that doesn’t play by any rules—especially the unwritten ones.Color Outside the Lines
Scott D. Goldstein’s direction gives us a film rich in texture and style, with a narrative that insists we question the predictability of the modern movie audience's taste for flash and cash over depth and grit. Classic cinema was never meant to be a warm bowl of oatmeal, it was meant to be a hearty dish best served hot, topped with bitingly savory themes and characters like Mitchell Osgood who challenge the expectations of an audience conditioned to think inside a safe, friendly box.The Rug-Tripping Plot Twist
Goldstein's commitment to the intertwining plots results in a dense, multifaceted explosion that forces you to reload and double-check your perception of what led you here. Osgood’s life becomes a mystery, wrapped in a thriller, tucked deep inside the ambitious labyrinth he so desperately tries to write and navigate.A Legacy of Defiance
The film eventually found itself shelved into obscurity, yet "Ambition" is one of those films that deserves a revival for its unapologetic dive into complexity. One could argue it missed its rightful place in the '90s box office, not for any lack of nerve, but perhaps because it was too much, too soon for those who couldn’t envision the richness lying at the boundaries of ambitious storytelling.Unearthing the Forgotten
"Ambition" may have fallen out of the public eye, but its latent resurgence calls out to cinephiles thirsty for stories that dare to venture outside the lines and aim straight for the creative jugular. There's a timeless quality to a movie that broaches themes society finds uncomfortable or unpopular, especially when reinforced by a solid script and engrossing performances.The Call for Creative Courage
"Ambition" is a wake-up call to the rampant mediocrity permeating today's film industry. It invokes a fiery desire for creating works that embody artful courage, daring us to strive for an unmatched narrative experience. In an era where mass-appeal often means downplaying depth, "Ambition" stands resilient, a tribute to high-stakes creativity and a testament to what is possible when storytelling knows no limits.