This middling movie boasts a star-studded cast , such as : Robert Mitchum , Ellen Burstyn, Rock Hudson , Fabio Testi and Donald Pleasence . This movie's opening prologue states: "The Middle East is a powder keg, ready to explode. A melting pot of conflicting religious and political factions. Israel, with a population of 4 million, is surrounded by 8 Arab countries with a population of 80 million. A group known as the P. L. O. (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) has vowed never to recognize Israel's right to exist and to fight on until a Palestinian homeland is realized. Lately, there are signs that the P. L. O. Is willing to talk peace with the Israelis. A Syrian based splinter group of the P. L. O., the SAIKA, the most extreme of all existing terrorist groups in the area, spreads terror on both the Israelis and the Arabs in order to stop any possibility of peace negotiations. Within Israel there are two major conflicting points of view : The moderates, who are ready to sit at the table with the P. L. O., and the right wing extremists who refuse to accept a Palestinian state in the region. The MOSSAD is the intelligence agency of the state of Israel and protects the official Israeli government position.¨ As an American ambassador (Robert Mitchum) is sent to the Middle East to attempt to solve the area's deep political problems. In Israel he tries to bring peace to the Middle East , but things go wrong , as he quickly becomes the target of terrorist attacks and while extremely criticized by all factions , resulting in being blamed for the nation's unrest . To make matters worse , his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is having a thorny affair with a suspect man (Fabio Testi) . The President ignores him , forcing the ambassador to fend for himself , as his personal existence and his own life are threatened . Meanwhile , his security official (Rock Hudson who was in poor health due to AIDS) saves his life in an assassination attempts and tries to help him resolve the conflicts around them . His career is in jeopardy... His marriage is in ruins... And his life is in danger... HE'S THROUGH NEGOTIATING.

A well intentioned film in which a kindly ambassador attempts to solve a long conflict through unconventional methods , but his efforts are hampered at every turn . Based on Elmore Leonard's 52 Pickup and ramade a year lar under its own title ¨52 Pickup¨1986 by John Frankenheimer with Roy Scheider , Ann-Margret , Vanity , John Glover , in fact , both movies were produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and The Cannon Group . Interpretations are passable , such as Robert Mitchum who plays in his usual style as a controversial U. S. ambassador to Israel trying to solve the Palestinian question which takes a turn when his wife well played by Ellen Burstyn begins having an affair with a PLO chief finely performed by Italian Fabio Testi . Rock Hudson in his last theatrical movie role plays Mitchum's chief security officer , giving a regular acting as the resourceful agent who along the way helps him . However , supposedly Robert Mitchum and Rock Hudson did not get along with each other .

The motion picture was professional but middlingly directed by J. Lee Thompson , though it has some disappointing scenes , shortcomings , failures , flaws and gaps . He previously had a nice track record in the English cinema from 1950 until 1961 , directing good Western (McKenna's gold , White Buffalo) and all king genres as Sci-Fi (Conquest and Battle of planet of apes), terror (Reincarnation of Peter Proud, Eye of the devil), adventures (Flame over India ,Kings of the sun, Taras Bulba , Tiger Bay) and Warlike ( Guns of Navarone, Von Braun , Chairman , The passage) . His two biggest successes turned out to be ¨Guns of Navarone¨and ¨Cape Fear¨. Thereafter , the filmmaker's career subsided in a morass of slickly realized but ordinary films. He moved into the field of international spectaculars , at which point his filmmaking seemed to lose its individuality . J. Lee Thompson working from the 50s in England, finished his career making Chuck Norris (Firewalker) and Charles Bronson vehicles (Caboblanco, Evil that men do, Messenger of death, Death Wish 4 : Crackdown, Caboblanco, St Ives). Rating : 4.5/10, average , only for Robert Mitchum, Rock Hudson hardcore fans.

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.

This is a well meaning political thriller about both peaceful and radical PLO fighters dealing with the fight against the Jews to reclaim their land with the aide of American ambassador Robert Mitchum, a quiet and wise man desperately trying to bring these two factions together to start talks. But powers behind the scene definitely don't want that, extremists who will use whatever means to keep the war going. Why you ask? No real reason other than the desire for control through whatever means necessary.

Then there's Mitchum's beautiful wife, Ellen Burstyn, having an affair with Fabio Testi, a handsome and romantic shopkeeper who is a high level official in the PLO. Burstyn has no idea of that, and when a film revealing their affair is shown to Mitchum, he must come to terms with his neglect and ultimately confront Testi whom he needs to speak to the students on both sides to open the door to peace. "Maybe the next generation will make it better", Testi says, a noble gesture of shaking hands with the enemy that unfortunately goes unheeded by terrorists for whom peace is a dirty word.

Costarring in this film (his last) is the still handsome Rock Hudson, then in the last stages of his life due to HIV, still fighting just like his character seems to be doing here as Mitchum's assistant. But there's a mysterious element about him that really is undetermined, and you really never know what side he is on. The ending gives a sign of hope, touching in the fact that it proves Testi's words to be true.

Donald Pleasance and Heli Goldenberg (as a rather ambitious reporter who must reach into her ethics) provide solid support. Not a great film but a well intended one, nicely directed by J. Lee Thompson and beautifully photographed. A very amusing scene with Burstyn has her entering Testi's store and interfering with a sale in a way that really gives a good intro to her character and provides an ironic laugh. It would be interesting to see if the young students of the different cultures were real students and not actors which would add a sense of authenticity to this.