If you're going to see an adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's novel than see this one directed by Fred Zinnemann . Skip the one staring Bruce Willis known as the Jackal which is only vaguely similar. What struck me the most while watching this thriller about an assassin and the detectives trying to capture him before he completes his assignment is that I struggled to know who to root for. And that's why this film is so good, it challenges the viewer to choose. The hero of the film is the Jackal and while he's a bad guy (yes, the hero of a film can be the bad guy) you can't help but admire him. My only complaint comes at the end when the Jackal is about to strike: certainly the film makers could have come up with something a little less convenient. Still this is a strong film that builds to a wonderful climax. Grade: A-
Spoiler Alert: How Claude Lebel is able to find the room where the Jackal is about to shoot his target is very circumspect. Supposedly he asks the Police officer if he saw anything unusual and the Police officer mentions the war vet he let through. And that's all Lebel needs to know that the war vet was actually the Jackal in disguise. I guess I can believe that but if the Jackal's disguise fooled the police officer than would he even mention it to Lebel, the Jackal was convincing. I would have rather seen Lebel see something to make him interrogate the police officer more thoroughly but that probably would have slowed the pacing some. Regardless I didn't completely buy it.
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