Carlos by Chris Taylor

Carlos
Olivier Assayas’ superb look into the life of infamous Venezuelan terrorist, Carlos the Jackal, is proof enough that quality cinematic entertainment can be found beyond the silver screen. Originally a miniseries for French television, the UK theatrical release has received a significant edit whilst not skimping on detail. What was a lengthy 5 and a half hours has been cut down to a manageable 2 and a half, whilst losing none of Edgar Ramirez’s mesmerising performance Ilich Ramirez Sanchez aka Carlos. It’s just a shame that its small screen origins don’t allow him for a Best Actor nomination because his performance is up there as one of the best this year. The story focuses on Carlos’ most famous years, including the infamous hostage taking at the OPEC HQ. That section takes up at least an hour on its own and never dips in tension. From preparation to aftermath, it’s edge-of-the-seat viewing. Despite its length, Carlos never feels like it hits a low point. Unusual editing which makes it seem as if important detail is being skimmed past can occasionally falter the progress of the story but as much is expected when editing down a miniseries for theatrical release. The miniseries no doubt fleshes out numerous areas of the story, but the characters and tension is nearly every scene is enough to keep you sticking with it throughout its entire run time.
4/5