Carlos

Name: Carlos
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Crime
Released: October 15, 2010
Duration: 325 min
Rating: 94

2010

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 81 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 81 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: October 15, 2010 | Not Rated

Summary: Carlos tells the story of Ilich Ramirez Sanchez who, for two decades, was one of the most wanted terrorists, on the planet. Between 1974 and 1994, he lived several lives under various pseudonyms, weaving his way through the complexities of international politics of the period. [IFC Films]

Director: Olivier Assayas

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, Crime

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 325 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Rene Rodriguez

Dec 30, 2010

Part of the accomplishment of Carlos is the sheer accumulation of detail the movie amasses, and the longer running time gives you a deeper sense of the terrorist lifestyle, and when and why Ilich gradually succumbed to ego and self-glorification without realizing it. Read full review

100

Betsy Sharkey

Hypnotic and sprawling five-hour-plus piece of cinematic genius. Read full review

100

Liam Lacey

Oct 21, 2010

A preening terrorist for the Me generation, his primary drive was vanity and his main professional asset an absence of empathy. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Like the convictions of some born into religious families, his (Carlos) Marxism seems more a matter of habit than faith. What seems to turn him on is power, which, the movie suggests, he nurtured alongside his luxe tastes. Read full review

David Edelstein

Shot by shot, scene by scene, it's a fluid and enthralling piece of work. I wasn't bored for a millisecond. Read full review

Ty Burr

Oct 28, 2010

Carlos moves like a greyhound out of the gate, fleet and assured and focused on the business at hand. It's a subtle, ultimately staggering portrayal of a bloody-minded ideologue who convinced only himself. Read full review

V.A. Musetto

Carlos is exciting entertainment, even if its subject's two-decade reign of terror is reprehensible. Read full review

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User Reviews

Lyn

Jun 5, 2011

Riveting -- have to thank the Sundance channel for providing 5 1/2 hours of engrossing, escapist entertainment during a boring weekend! Lead actor Edgar Ramirez is so charismatic that I couldn't avoid a few qualms about the terrorist being portrayed as such a sexy, glam guy. But theRiveting -- have to thank the Sundance channel for providing 5 1/2 hours of engrossing, escapist entertainment during a boring weekend! Lead actor Edgar Ramirez is so charismatic that I couldn't avoid a few qualms about the terrorist being portrayed as such a sexy, glam guy. But the production as a whole, especially the controlled tedium of the final segment, gradually reveals the flaws of his character and the desperation of his existence. What irony as he bloviates about being "soldier" against imperialistic enemies while swilling endless glasses of Johnny Walker Red. Terrific storytelling.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

RainFall

Nov 14, 2012

Excellent. Be sure to watch it in it's full 336 minute glory. I went in thinking this would be a propaganda piece one way or the other, but left feeling the creators did a reasonable job avoiding that. There is a bit of it, but it's slight. Well acted, well casted, well written. It makesExcellent. Be sure to watch it in it's full 336 minute glory. I went in thinking this would be a propaganda piece one way or the other, but left feeling the creators did a reasonable job avoiding that. There is a bit of it, but it's slight. Well acted, well casted, well written. It makes Homeland look like the crappy show it is.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

jcorso

Oct 18, 2010

Carlos is as good as a movie gets. It is 5 1/2 hours of riveting pulse. Carlos sparks the internal fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

6 of 9 users found this helpful63

geewah

Jan 27, 2021

A fasinating biopic of one of the most dangerous and terrifying men of the 20th century.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FilmVirtue

Nov 18, 2015

A strongly directed leftest biographical that doesn't rip the viewer out of it's content with a sort-of-like history and brief running time, and instead places the facts right in front of you for a grueling (and yet powerful) five and a half hour running time.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

seancriswell

Aug 23, 2012

A pretty well done gritty, raw biopic. Well written, and well acted, hits all the high points of this ruthless terrorist. Where this film fell short for me was the lack of motivation that is portrayed in Carlos, and the brevity of most of the plot points. Whether this is from lack ofA pretty well done gritty, raw biopic. Well written, and well acted, hits all the high points of this ruthless terrorist. Where this film fell short for me was the lack of motivation that is portrayed in Carlos, and the brevity of most of the plot points. Whether this is from lack of information on the character or lack of time in the film is hard to know, but for me it kept the film from being the completely satisfying picture of this character that I was hoping for.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

PeeryDo

Jan 11, 2011

Long, predictable,and has been done again, and again. If the critics like it I'll see the lowest rated films they list first. If it's not political, they don't like it. Can't we get an honest review??

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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