Review of Carlos (2010) by Cody U — 01 Sep 2011

Part globe-trotting, geopolitical thriller, and part rise-and-fall of a gangster saga, this massive film is an unrelenting masterpiece about the famous terrorist for hire, Carlos the Jackal. With a run-time of about 5 1/2 hours, and covering two decades of events, this is a truly massive film.

Watching it in one sitting was definitely worth it though. Not one second is wasted from beginning to end. Impeccably directed by Olivier Assayas, this film has some of the most realistic action sequences ever put to film.

Guns jamming, shaky rocket launchers missing their target, and many, many mistakes that you just don't see in typical Hollywood action thrillers. Also, this film is very international, taking place in a dozen or more countries, with about as many languages spoken throughout.

Edgar Ramirez turns in a very impressive, best-actor worthy performance as our egotistical and womanizing title character. Having to speak at least 4 different languages, gain weight, lose weight; in fact, he changes appearance over a dozen times, wearing just about every facial hair and hair cut you can, and throughout the entire film, keeps you absolutely captivated.

It is a very impressive and dynamic performance. I really enjoyed this film. It is certainly one of the better films that has come out in the past decade, and you have to see the 5 1/2 hour cut. I just couldn't imagine trimming anything off of this film, but there is a 2 1/2 hour cut out there, so choose wisely.