Jett didn’t want to know about watching a five hour and 30-minute film, but after being urged to see Carlos over and over (even Todd McCarthy told him to re-think his reluctance during a New York Film Festival party) I managed to drag him to the IFC Center last night for a 7 pm screening. Director Olivier Assayas spoke with us briefly in the lobby, and then delivered some opening remarks before the crowd.

Carlos director Olivier Assayas at Manhattan’s IFC Center prior to 7 pm show — Saturday, 10.16, 6:50 pm.

The truth? We caught three and three-quarter hours’ worth (i.e., Parts 1 and 2) but felt too whipped to make it through part 3. (We would have been there until 1 am, give or take, if we’d gone the distance.) I loved Carlos just as much as when I first saw it inside the Grand Palais in Cannes, but that was a midday screening with all kinds of juice and pizazz. The sound and projection levels at the IFC Center are totally fine but it’s just not the same, and I start to fade concentration-wise around 11 pm after being up and working hard since 7 am.

I took two videos of Assayas at the mike (clip #1 and video #2). The second one suffers from cruddy sound.

You know what would be adventurous and cool? For a major critics group or two (like the NYFCC, say) to give Carlos its Best Picture award.