CARLOS THE JACKAL
Dir: Oliver Assayas. Starring: Edgar Ramirez, Fadi Abi Samra, Ahmad Kaabour.

Carlos is a magnificent achievement and a reminder that terrorism used to be very different 40 years ago.

The film is presented here in two separate versions. There is the feature length movie, which was condensed from a trilogy originally made for television. Both are present and the way to go is, without a doubt, the three-parter. From the production values and style there is no hint of its small screen origins.

The story follows the man who was – for well over a decade – the most recognisable and feared terrorist in the world, taking him from early days as a budding acolyte to his glory years of killing and bombings and the eventual slow decline as he was gradually abandoned by the countries and organisations who had used
his services.

It's not an easy film. The entire story is told from within the terrorists' world, one of paranoia and betrayal, and it is extraordinary stuff, showing up a vast range of dodgy double dealing and reminding us how different the world was before the 9/11 attacks on America pushed everyone towards security obsession.

Edgar Ramirez is simply superb as Carlos, a fascinating mixture of ruthless charm, ego and daring, the physical transformation over two decades consummately handled. Ultimately, it is the elusive enigma of his character, at the centre of the film throughout that fascinates and will drag you back for repeat viewings.

After director Zack Snyder's pumped-up 300 came the Legends of the Guardians owl movie and Watchmen, both adaptations and visual extravaganzas. With Sucker Punch (**) he has also taken it upon himself to write the story and screenplay. All I can say is ‘Don't Do It Again'. Please. Sucker Punch's tale of five girls trapped in an evil asylum spends most of its time in the girl's interior dreamworlds, which play like elaborate music videos from a 14 year old boy's wet dream. WW1 dogfights, martial arts monsters, fighting dragons and robots and more are emotionlessly evoked within a framework of frustrating stupidity, proving that endless flash visuals can only stave off boredom for so long.

The Rite (***) is another exorcism film and takes itself very seriously. Claiming to be ‘based on true events', one assumes the word ‘based' has been used fairly loosely. It follows a young doubting trainee priest attending the Vatican to be taught the secrets of exorcism. He is passed on to Anthony Hopkins' grizzled old practitioner and discovers that – yes! – it is real after all. Well made though it is basically complete nonsense and breaks little new ground. Main reason for viewing is the dazzling turn from Hopkins, moving effortlessly between kind twinkly mode and full-on scary scenery chewing.

In the world of cult movies it is possible for a film to be a bit of a mess and simultaneously rather wonderful. So it is with this tale of eponymous porn star Elektra Luxx (****) (oh the puns that beckon if this weren't a family newspaper). Much like an early Kevin Smith film this is shot clumsily, but has a script filled with sparkling dialogue. It also has a classy cast, including Carla Gugino, Timothy Olyphant, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, music from the elusively brilliant Robyn Hitchcock, and an eccentrically funny story about life after porn. And Julianne Moore makes an unbilled appearance as the
Virgin Mary.

John Malkovich is The Great Buck Howard (***), a seriously cheesy Carson-era mentalist in search of a comeback, and very good he is too, all oily charm and fragile ego. Colin Hanks is a young law school drop-out who gets a job as his assistant and road manager. Along with Emily Blunt's publicist (and love interest) they attempt to break Buck back into the big time. It's an unassuming, sweet, funny story, with Steve Zahn, Tom Hanks, Griffin Dunne and others providing solid support and a host of celebrity cameos.