Carlos The Jackal (2010)

If you know anything about this biopic of Carlos The Jackal, then you know what I'm going to say so I'll just say it now and we'll move on...  It obviously too long. I didn't watch the 5hr version (presumably available on import from Masochists'r'Us) but this Highlights-cut, this 'Diet Carlos' cut is still 2hrs 40mins and change. It's long and though it's quite violent and otherwise stylised, it does get pretty arduous and the story get stuck in admittedly key moments without end in sight, a few times. Now I'll be democratic and say that since the film was devised to be both feature film and 5part French tv drama, that I'm certain items would be far more palettable broken up after every hour or so but if this is what was the best of that footage... i probably won't be back for seconds. Like the kidnapping of OPEC officials is a defining part of his guy's story but Carlos would have been remiss have seen filmmakers cultivate an hour out of it. Like I say, I'm sure this was good as an hour of the Carlos mini-series but it's too excessive for one sitting.
I found it strange to pick up on because i don't usually this about this aspect of  the post-production process but i noticed after an hour that this film doesn't have a soundtrack, no strings or orchestration that you might expect in the tenser scenes, to help build-ya'know-tension? But I just remembered that it does have a marginal soundtrack of new vave-y instrumentals at transitional stage of Mr The Jackal's life. Not that I dislike that sorta thing but it's kinda jarring in a film about an infamous Palestinian terrorist.
Apart from those MAJOR issues, it's quite good. Oliver Assayess has made sure it at least looks good and there's a estimated international jet-set feeling as the movie moves from London to Germany to Tripoli and Edgar Ramierez is very good in a part that requires him to change his physicality as well as grow and change on the manner of that biopics require.

I watched Carlos The Jackal (2010), on BluRay via LoveFilm.
My 2011 in Movies will return with Dog Pound (2010)...