Carlos

At the heart of the 1970s-80s wave of terrorism, the story of Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, alias Carlos the Jackal, mythical figure, far leftwing mercenary in the pay of Middle Eastern powers. Striking and ambitious, this flamboyant epic is the x-ray view of an ideology and an era as well as that of a man obsessed with power, choking on his own megalomania. Filmmaker Olivier Assayas, a master of rhythm, brilliantly orchestrates his taste for fever, vertigo, and spiraling action. The precision of the editing and the rock energy of the directing, added to the animal charisma of Édgar Ramírez, give the film Carlos staggering power.