Successfully conveys the kineticism and restlessness that one imagines is appropriate to the subject's existence, but somehow still seems not to go very far. Biopics are prone to two pitfalls: either to slavishly reproduce the facts, or to too willingly doctor them. To some extent the problems here derive from being unable to avoid either of these traps. Nevertheless, still somewhat interesting. Saw the full version.

So entirely forgettable I forgot to rate it until now.

The Best!

Holy crap, an excellent history lesson. I grew up reading about this stuff in the newspapers, but had no idea about the magnitude and inter connectivity of all these events. The impact of these issues and political figures in this film still resonate in our current society (the 2011 Arab spring revolutions). If you liked the Baader Meinhof Komplex, you'll be blown away with this one. A must see for any European born in the 70's.

As happened with other European films about the same theme, they portrait the terrorists in a very romantic, stylish way.

Assayas manages to exhibit so many angles of a period in history, so closely connected to the time we live in now, that it almost feels unbearably claustrophobic. In short; A captivating history lesson (on speed), which both aesthetically and thematically is a joy to watch.

I watched the mini-series. Impressively shot, with a lot of in-depth history, this does a good job of placing Carlos' actions in their historical context. Ramirez' performance is a tour de force, but I found the whole thing too long, and uncomfortably glamorous.

There's certainly a lot to like here, but once I was done watching, I couldn't shake the fact that this felt less like a movie and more like a 5½ hour audio-visual history lesson, so much that I thought reading a book about the subject matter might actually be more interesting.

The success of Carlos doesn't emerge from the biopic of namesake character, events or ideals, rather from drawing revolutionary movement bussiness as a subfunction, subsequence, consequence of govermental bussiness.

There are a few romantic tinges what with the music choices and his ideological earnestness. The third act brings it together with a downfall into obsolescence and being used up by the likes of Assad, Hussein and Gaddafi. The overall quality is that of a film made for television but with such strong subject matter it's very compelling.

Not quite what I was expecting from a film my friend described as "rock and roll". The first half of Carlos bubbles with action, climaxing with the beautifully staged conference takeover, in which Julia Hummer shines as the tough-as-nails Nada. What follows is sort of a prolonged denouement, not a swan song for the titular character, but the slow, pathetic fade of a lost cause.

An astonishingly accomplished work by Assayas who shows impressive mastery and control over the subject matter while sidestepping the usual biopic pitfalls. The third and final part is admittedly less than stellar and unfocused but it's just a small step backwards considering what the first two parts have managed to achieve.

Ramirez was okay but not great. The action scenes work better than the drama. It's an impressive production but a somewhat forgettable end product.

Runs more wide than deep, but it's such a vivid portrayal of two decades of a man's life - nimbly moving from place to place, person to person, etc. - that it's nonetheless very entertaining. Assayas' every step is extremely confident, and his technical mastery is something to behold. The use of lighting, the excellent sound design, and a killer soundtrack (Wire!) all make for a hell of a ride.

Over five hours long, yet it is tightly cut -- no scenes are unnecessarily drawn out and the film does not sprawl. Excellent acting, cinematography, writing, direction. It is an amazing story which deftly covers a wide variety of countries, time periods, and true events. The neutrality of the presentation is notable, as the filmmaker manages to never take sides. Great film.

Epic, exhilarating and perfectly suited to Assayas' global sensibility, acting almost as a culmination of the themes his films have dealt with over the last ten years. Because of it's historical and incident-driven nature, the film lacks some of the more overtly poetic flourishes of his other recent work, but on the other hand the constant procedural dialogue alleviates some of the problems Assayas tends to have sometimes with non-French dialogue.

Any 5 hour movie is gonna drag on a bit. Overall though, interesting and ruthless at times...in a badass revolutionary kind of way...

I'm really not good with movies where a terrorist is the main character which have become frequent the last couple of years and this did nothing to change my oppinion. All of them way too long and way too boring. But that isn't my main problem. When the characters are portrayed like rock stars, are we supposed to think they are good or bad? Should we feel sorry for them or their families or their victims? I ended up not feeling anything for any of the characters... (watched the 165 min version)

5 hour version: The length is appropriate. A lot of material here. Although it has good pacing including legitimately good action as well as a few intimate moments, the piece sometimes feels detached and may be a bit confusing. However, there's something really great about it at the same time. It's not perfect, but it's still great in its own right, Ramirez is incredible, and definitely an achievement for 2010. Score is not a grade.

Heavily politicized and arguably sympathetic trilogy of films recapping the 20 year career of Carlos Sanchez. Sex and violence literally merge in his fiery well-to-do revolutionary beginnings. A nice touch as, as the final film draws to a close his fate as a character is known before we are shown the politically irrelevant and sexually impotent Carlos fade into the French correctional system. The ideological opposite of Spielbergs Munich, the exotic nature of Carlos's subject splits the two.

"Though commissioned for the small screen, Carlos's widescreen visuals demand a theater, and its aesthetic dexterity is a continual marvel." - Nick Schager

Carlos gives hipsters Munich minus the moral conviction and dramatic cogency that hipsters fashionably distrust. It's being presented in two versions: 330 minutes and 165 minutes, one as emotionally flat as the other.

Carlos is cool. Carlos' beret is cool. Carlos' sunglasses are cool. Carlos speaks 5 languages fluently, and that's cool too. Carlos' revolutionary politics are cool. His movie has a post-punk soundtrack, which as any sensible person knows is the coolest genre of music. Carlos is also full of shit. Ego supercedes revolutionary zeal at the crucial moments, ironically denying him the glory he seeks. Edgar Ramirez is magnificent as Carlos and it's remarkable that such a long film never goes stale.

Well-researched, excellently acted, and energetically shot, the film is consistently engaging throughout its nearly six-hour run time. Assayas utilizes a punk soundtrack that effectively captures the historical moment, and works especially well as a counterpoint in Carlos' later years. The final third of the film, a quiet portrait of gradual ruin and desolation, offers the necessary cap to a story of a man who believed that by oppressing some, he would free others from their oppressive rulers.

You're not going to believe me when I tell you that a 5 1/2 hour film manages to come across as tidy and economical, but somehow it does. It's also fantastically energetic, exciting and ambitious - praise I laud on a film by the same director of Summer Hours, which is better suited to the adjectives subtle, serene and lovely. Feature after feature, Assayas is proving himself to be one of the most confident and skilled filmmakers working today. And my, what a breakthrough for Edgar Ramirez.

The mini series, not the short cut version...

5 hour version: impressive masterpiece