Todd McCarthy this morning supplied the first review of Carlos, director Olivier Assayas's much-anticipated French TV miniseries-cum-Cannes event screening. Calling the film in turns "astonishing," "terrific" and "utterly brilliant," McCarthy notes that Carlos "produces real movie-movie excitement, action, sex and suspense, which will help generate a considerable worldwide public." Many more accolades are said to be forthcoming from the screening that ended a few hours ago on the Croisette.
But one dissenter is already making trouble for the film (which arrives Stateside this fall from IFC and Sundance): Carlos the Jackal himself (né Ilich Ramírez Sánchez), whom the French apprehended in 1994, convicted of three counts of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Oh -- and who today went on the air to voice his displeasure of Assayas's egregious historical liberté:
"The legend of Carlos is one thing. I don't give a damn," he said. "They can attack the legend, but there are historic facts and they should not be allowed to travesty them in this way."
Mr Ramirez Sanchez, whose career ended when he was seized by French agents in Sudan in 1994, has been telling the media that he is especially upset over the film's version of his most notorious exploit, the kidnapping of a couple of dozen ministers at the headquarters of OPEC in Vienna in 1975. Three guards were killed in the operation, which ended when "Carlos" flew his hostages to the Middle East and released them.
According to the film, starring Edgar Ramirez, the Opec assault was ordered by Saddam Hussein, the President of Iraq. "Carlos" insists that it was instigated by Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader. The once feared fighter also said that the filmmaker makes a fool of his guerrilla team.
"Showing hysterical men waving submachine guns and threatening people is completely ridiculous," he said.
"Things didn't happen like that. These were professionals, commandos of a very high standard."
The filmmaker even got the details wrong. "I don't smoke cigarettes. I have smoked cigars since 1969. Everyone knows that."
Ah. Well, point taken. The killer last January unsuccessfully sued for the right to see the film and make changes, the most pressing of which should be that no terrorist worth his salt would let himself be captured while awaiting varicose-vein surgery on his scrotum. I mean, Carlos. Come on. You're Carlos the Jackal! Tough it out, son. Anyway, another terrorist is pissed about the West; plan your routes around Times Square accordingly.
· Carlos the Jackal rages at character assassination in film [Times Online]