Carlos (2010)
90%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Despite its hefty running time, Carlos moves along briskly, thanks to an engaging story, exotic locales, and a breakout performance by Edgar Ramirez.
Carlos is the kind of movie that makes you want to start a revolution, or at least join a really cool club. It’s a thrilling ride through the life of a terrorist who’s equal parts terrifying and fascinating. Edgar Ramírez gives a performance that’s both fearless and sophisticated, and the direction by Olivier Assayas is nothing short of epic. Sure, it’s not the most lighthearted movie out there, but if you’re in the mood for something that will make you think and feel, Carlos is definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Talking Heads Arnold Stiefel Company,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2010
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:2h 30m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 2010 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2011
Genre(s)
Drama/Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Edgar Ramirez, directed by Olivier Assayas, written by Olivier Assayas, Dan Franck, Daniel Leconte, drama, biography, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Christopher Kelly, Rene Rodriguez, J.R Jones, Roger Ebert, David Lewis, Sara Michelle Fetters, Mattie Lucas, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, Ahmad Kaabour, Palestinian terrorist organization, OPEC oil ministers, international terrorist, exotic locales, breakout performance, French (Canada), Daniel Leconte, IFC Films, Alexander Scheer, Nora von Waldstätten, Christoph Bach, Ahmad Kaabour, Fadi Abi Samra, MPAA rating, terrorism, Marxist, Palestinian liberation, James Bond, Yasser Arafat, state-sponsored terrorism, police states, idealism, mercenary, women, guns, violence, action, suspense, thriller, epic, meticulous, engaging story, exotic locales, mesmerizing portrait, committed activist, media-hungry rock star, international terrorist, fearlessness, sophistication, iron fist, political cause, global revolution, futile, unique, well-acted, fascinating, laborious, draining, obdurate, unique, well-acted, fascinating, laborious, draining, obdurate
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Alexander Scheer – Johannes Weinrich
Nora von Waldstätten – Magdalena Kopp
Christoph Bach – Hans-Joachim Klein (Angie)
Ahmad Kaabour – Wadie Haddad
Fadi Abi Samra – Michel Moukharbal
Director(s)
Olivier Assayas
Writer(s)
Olivier Assayas, Dan Franck, Daniel Leconte
Producer(s)
Daniel Leconte
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (69) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (64) | Rotten (5)
Carlos deserves mention alongside the greatest suspense thrillers ever made.
January 7, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Christopher Kelly
Dallas Morning News
TOP CRITIC
The term “epic” often gets bandied around to describe movies that don’t really fit the description. But Olivier Assayas’ Carlos is the real deal…
December 21, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
Rene Rodriguez
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
It manages to deliver a steady stream of action thrills even as it reconsiders the international terrorism of the 1960s and ’70s for lessons important today.
December 3, 2010
J. R. Jones
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A terrifying portrait of an egomaniac who demands absolute obedience, and craves it even more when his power and relevance are drained away.
December 2, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
It is one of the best pictures of the year.
November 4, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
David Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Carlos isn’t just the best movie of the year, it is arguably one of the single greatest motion picture I have ever seen.
October 29, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
Sara Michelle Fetters
MovieFreak.com
TOP CRITIC
While it owes a great debt to The Godfather (a film to which Assayas tips his hat), Carlos stands tall as its own grand achievement on a rare and staggering scale.
June 7, 2019
Mattie Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
Edgar Ramírez epitomizes fearlessness and sophistication all while ruling with an iron fist and shedding innocent blood for his political cause.
December 31, 2018 | Rating: A-
Kiko Martinez
San Antonio Current
There is a sense that the film makers became far too engrossed in their subject matter, whilst forgetting that the point of drama — as opposed to biography — is to evoke emotion through a unique connection with its audience.
November 5, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
Thomas Pemberton
CineVue
It’s an amazing story, one told with gripping lucidity.
May 17, 2018
John Powers
NPR’s Fresh Air
Olivier Assayas’ epic account of the life and myth of real-life terrorist Carlos the Jackal is a mesmerizing portrait of a committed activist who transforms himself into a media-hungry rock star of an international terrorist.
April 10, 2016
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
Though a superbly made and meticulous portrait, Carlos is more interesting than entertaining.
March 11, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
Roe McDermott
Hot Press…
Plot
Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, aka ‘Carlos,’ is a Venezuelan-born Marxist revolutionary who aligns himself with the Palestinian cause and becomes the world’s most notorious terrorist. He leads assaults on the meeting of OPEC ministers, taking them hostage and flying them from country to country seeking asylum, one of the most daring acts of terrorism in history. From his earliest days as an apprentice in the revolutionary movement to his subsequent downfall, Carlos becomes a figure of legend.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Edgar Ramirez delivers a breakout performance as the titular character in Carlos.
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