(2001)3Richard GilliamFeaturing some of the best stunt driving since Vanishing Point (and re-creating one of that classic's most memorable explosions), Ambush is a tense, stylish action short that manages to create subtly interesting characters despite its scant six minutes or so of story content. Both Clive Owen, as the driver, and Tomas Milian, as his passenger, use gestures, glances and other nonverbal acting to give a human texture to what would otherwise be a merely well-produced car chase. Director John Frankenheimer and editor Robert Duffy expertly intermix shots of the actors with high-speed external viewpoints of the vehicles, satisfying both corporate sponsor BMW's purpose of showcasing their automotive product, and the audience's purpose of being entertained. Ambush was partially filmed in the diamond district of Los Angeles, adding location verisimilitude to what was already a finely crafted film.
