Artivels
Undescribable Perfection
Nonureva
Really Surprised!
Bluebell Alcock
Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
blanche-2
This miniseries, three hours from an original five hours, is the story of Carlos the Jackal, a Venezuelan terrorist who operated in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. His most famous attack was on an OPEC meeting in 1975. Sixty hostages were taken and 3 people killed.Carlos, real name Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, was allied with the Palestinian/anti-Zionism cause, seeking justice and equality. Written and directed by Olivier Assayas, the twenty-year sojourn of Carlos has some of the dialogue from Stasi recordings; the director fits in real events, mixing in actual footage and some fictional ones of meeting and negotiations.Carlos was committed to the cause, but he was also egomaniacal and ambitious, besides being somewhat of a mercenary. He was also a womanizer and believed that his destiny was to be killed.Once the wall came down, Carlos became an artifact, drifting from country to country seeking asylum, and finally being moved to French soil while he was ill, so that he could be put on trial.Edgar Ramirez does a fantastic job as Carlos. Like many of the South American or Spanish actors I've seen, he is completely natural and believable. It helped also that he can speak several languages as the character needed to slip in and out of them. He is an enigmatic Carlos, a powerful man who could take over a group with very little effort.There are many bombings, car chases, and meetings to be had and for some it may be tedious to follow. I found it very well made and interesting.
Leofwine_draca
CARLOS THE JACKAL is a French TV miniseries biopic that gets into the heart and soul of the man who was Carlos the Jackal. Carlos was a Venezuelan left-wing revolutionary who embarked on an extensive terror campaign across the world in the 1970s: a campaign designed to free Palestine through bombings, assassinations, and the taking of hostages. The miniseries follows him from his humble beginnings to his final days behind hunted down by old foes.Be warned: this is a VERY lengthy miniseries and even watching it in three parts takes some dedication. It's very much in the feel of the likes of THE BAADER-MEINHOF COMPLEX and MESRINE, with the emphasis on realism throughout, with terrorist attacks carried out in a matter-of-fact way. The writers enjoy exploring the minutiae of the situation, from the various campaigns themselves to Carlos's mindset and way of life. It's an incredibly political film that works as an engaging historical document, putting into clarity the complexities of Western-Arab relations during the 1970s and beyond.Inevitably the story belongs to Edgar Ramirez (THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM), who makes the film his own as the larger-than-life titular character. But the supporting cast are equally authentic, and there are lots of fine set-pieces. Be warned, though, things do slow down in the last third, where Carlos's fate is played out in almost excruciating slow motion. It takes some sitting thorough, but the experience as a whole is a rewarding one.
filmalamosa
This 3 part series follows the "career" of Carlos from about 1973 to 1994. A psychopathic killer and terrorist leader he was responsible for a rash of bombings and assassinations for various groups mainly Palestinian causes. He was finally captured in Sudan in 1994.The movie is nicely filmed with period details adhered to. It seems to have been mostly filmed in Beirut with that venue passing for Tripoli Algiers etc... in any case it is convincing.What struck me is that the 911 attacks were nothing new...terrorists in the 1970s were taking OPEC ministers hostage blowing up planes etc... I am cynical enough to wonder why now there has to be trillions spent on the war on terror...seems they managed back then with out doing that. The military industrial complex needed a new threat after the cold war ended.Another flaw is the group is made to seem almost chic in their running from country to country. But that is minor.It is pretty good if you need to kill 6 hours.
tony randall
i'm going to be brief since i think the other reviews of "carlos"already posted will give a good idea of the film's brilliance.i wanted to point out the genius use of music in this film-the post-punk songs specifically.as goes carlos down a road of egotism,gluttony and sloth so to does the the soundtrack mirror exactly how post-punk devolved from an idealistic,naive,and yes,somewhat innocent art form into a cold hearted mercenary whose original goals and beliefs had long since washed away into a sewer of profit margins,marketability and celebrity.it's no accident that the film opens with wire and closes with the lightning seeds.with a few changes this screenplay could very easily be re-packaged into the johnny rotten/john lydon story.the story of another man who thought the revolution was completely about himself...this is the best film of the past 5 years IMO.even better than mesrine,che and the baader-meinhof complex-3 other similarly structured historical bio-epics that are great films themselves,but not in "carlos" league.
