Welcome back to the Ambassador Almanac where I have been hit with World Cup fever. I wanted to talk generally about the tournament and my hopes for it while also catching up on some things I watched this week before wrapping up with the latest in the collection.
The World Cup got underway last week and has been raging on with now at the time of this writing 4 games a day and it will jump to 6 at some points as well. We’ve already seen incredible moments on the pitch. The USA opened their tournament with an electrifying 4-1 victory over Paraguay, the other host nations Canada and Mexico took points as well. We saw a thriller between the Netherlands and Japan that ended in a 2-2 draw, Messi turned back the clock and got his first World Cup hat-trick, and then of course the Cinderella stories of Cape Verde and DR Congo taking points from tournament favorites Spain and Portugal.
I’m admittedly still new to the world of soccer. My fandom of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has provided the context in which I view the games on the field. Some of the players I recognize, many I don’t. But ultimately like everyone else the overwhelming draw of the event and the sport is the passion, dedication and appreciation of its fans. It’s hard to ignore the videos and articles being written about the cultures colliding all over North America right now. The Tartan Army taking over Boston, the posts about Waffle House, and the Korean fans that have made a deep connection with their counter parts from Mexico. It’s a bowl of warm soup for the soul in a time when we all needed it. Especially when you see a lot of those videos starting with “I know what we read about Americans back home but…”
It is extremely easy to romanize all of the stuff thats going on. I’ve done it and will continue to do so because I love seeing people happy, leave me alone. But honestly its hard not see everyone come together not feel really dumb. Of course this would happen, why wouldn’t it? It’s easy to lose confidence in leadership and especially easy to when you’re living in the era we are currently. So as the games continue to roll on I hope for two things. First, I hope that the world sees that American people are more than what is happening in Washington, more than the headlines they see on TV. Second, I hope that American people are reminded just who makes up this country. There are massive pockets of very proud people with family from all over the world who are beyond excited to see their teams play here. In my opinion the beauty and the appeal of America has always been the promise yet kept – but a time like this gives one the belief that it’s possible.
PS I want nothing but the best for the ducks being dressed in kits for the games. The duck in the Mexico jersey is very important.
What I Watched This Week:
If you love overly sentimental stuff like an extremely random rant about the beauty of the World Cup boy do I have a movie for you. Disclosure Day hit theaters last week with much anticipation from yours truly. I was really dialed in on my first watch, not digging too deep into what was happening just letting the experience wash over me and feeling all the feels that Steven Spielberg wanted me to. And after that first watch I came away really liking it. A solid B+ of a movie that at its high points was an A- for me.
Then I saw it again and it admittedly worked a little bit less than I wanted it to. I think the issue of the movie starring Josh O’Conner and Emily Blunt is that its all about the idea of the world being told without any shadow of a doubt that aliens are real and that we’ve been making contact for decades. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that Spielberg has been obsessed with this idea forever. Some of his best movies have a similar thematic idea and a sort of whimsical and wondrous feeling about them. In this movie we get what feels like the full accumulation of those ideas presented to us in such a way that the world would care deeply about such news and that it would change everything.
I gotta say I’m glad Spielberg hasn’t lost that feeling because I think society at large sure as hell has. It has been interesting reading reactions to the movie and people flat out rejecting its ideas. Can you blame them? The box office of the movie is being propped up by older generations who presumably love his movies and get swept up in it. I can think of a few sequences that do feel vintage Spielberg in their construction. It’s a bit of a nostalgia factor in my opinion. Younger audiences seem far more mixed. I don’t blame the movie and those that made it but it does kinda feel like a movie that says “You know what would bring the world together….aliens!” is out of place at the moment. Some of the people I talk to walked underwhelmed by what the movie had to say, others simply didn’t care at all.
When you strip back the emotions and look the text of the movie I tend to agree. But it still has a lot going for it. Emily Blunt is as advertised. It’s a tough part that could be absolutely ridiculous in the wrong hands so to say she raised to the occasion is an understatement. I really liked Josh O’Conner in this. It’s crazy to think he was the guy from Challengers all these years later. I like him as the soft spoken quiet guy that has a lot depth only shown through the eyes. Also I am NEVER selling my Wyatt Russell stock. I will not do it. Inspired casting choice to make him the dumb boyfriend character who kinda of a goof but also not totally wrong in his reaction to what’s happening.
The other movie I watched this week was a rewatch of Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude. A movie that did wonders on me when I saw it the first time and has held up in each viewing since. I am guilty of overly romanticizing the role that movies play in my life. But I remember vividly watching this for the first time and in retrospect I feel like this was one that really helped me grow up.
The ideas of the movie are fairly basic. But Ashby really challenges the audience by aggressively striking down convention and delivering darkest of dark humor. I think he’s a great artist because he forces you to question your own preconceived notions about life, death, love and everything else.
The unconventional nature of the relationship can’t be denied. But I also think that it’s challenge for us because the movie wants us to love the fact that Harold has found a place for himself in the world. We see him sort of reborn in a way that can only happen when you find love. The days look just a little bit different, music sounds just a little better, and find a depth of self that you didn’t know was there. It’s commutated through his character, it’s an incredible performance.
Maude is Harold’s lover but obviously the story is about a lost young person finding an appreciation and love for being. Through all the negative perceptions of self and the envy has for the dead he learns that all feelings are a gift because it is a gift to feel at all. Pretty basic sentimental nonsense sure. BUT the characters in this movie are fantastic. I find it extremely funny despite the graphic nature of the jokes and there are moments in this that get me every time.
Plus one of the great soundtracks of all time. I adore this movie and will keep in rotation forever.
The Physical Media Pick Up:
This week I wanted to highlight one of my favorite movies of last year that was added to the Criterion Collection and in turn my own shelf.
I’ll throw my hands up and admit that this is my first Joachim Trier movie. I meant to jump on the bandwagon for The Worst Person in the World but ya know life happens and you don’t see the movie you told yourself to watch four years ago.
Sentimental Value is just a fantastic movie. I don’t think the script is horribly complex. I don’t even think what the movie is trying to do or say is totally inventive. But I do think that it hits all the notes it wants to perfectly because it so satisfying to watch.
Renate Reinsve is so incredibly captivating to watch. In this movie she doesn’t too many moments so explosiveness though the movie is sure to let us know that she’s capable. Most of the performance is just this quiet somber vibe she falls into so well. She doesn’t spend a lot of time telling us how she feels. Trier respects his audience enough not to lecture. But she gives so much doing so little and I found myself really with her throughout the movie. Her intelligence and talent as an artist, her unwavering love of her sister and nephew, the complicated relationship with her father, and the natural ability to self destruct. She gave a lot in the performance and found way to let us connect while still being reserved within the reality of the movie.
She is on a collision course with Stellan SkarsgÃ¥rd’s character who as her father sees a lot of similarities between them. They are two artists connecting with their emotions through their art as it’s the only way they know how.
I don’t wanna say too much but there was a ton to like here. I think it hits on a lot of things thematically that are consistent with other movies we’ve seen this year. The direction is great, the cast is fantastic, I must say this is going down as one of my absolute favorites of 2025. By the way I have officially purchased my Elle Fanning season tickets after seeing what she’s done in her last 3 projects.
That’s all for this week. I have been a bit sidetracked by this World Cup but I have a feeling that there will be a lot for me to dig into next week so stay tuned.
The Ambassador Almanac 