Film Review: The Secret Agent
Brazil 1977, A Time Of Mischief
INTRODUCTION
This is a quick review of the newly released film The Secret Agent. Please note that this is just one of the many movies I will have watched each year, and my initial grade for this film may change over time, for better or worse. To stay up to date on my thoughts about other movies and any potential changes in my opinion on this one, follow me on Letterboxd.
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PLOT
Via Letterboxd: In 1977 Recife, Marcelo, a technology expert in his early forties, returns in the midst of Carnaval to reunite with his son and plot a dangerous escape under the ever-watchful eyes of Brazil’s repressive military regime.
REVIEW
Just last year we got a look into the era of military dictatorship in Brazil via one of the biggest audience hits of 2024, I’m Still Here, a film I also found solid enough to place on my personal International Feature ballot. Now we get another dive into that dark chapter of the country’s history, this time from director Kleber Mendonca Filho (whose Bacurau was one of my favorites of 2020), and this time through a fictional narrative rather than a true-life drama. That new film is The Secret Agent.
Following the story of a man under threat from the regime who tries to flee with his son, the film offers an unflinching look at what it must have been like to live under such circumstances. We’re introduced not just to the protagonist, Marcelo, but also to a group of refugees who each have their own motivation to evade the dictatorship. Filho does a good job showing the relationships Marcelo forms with them, even if only in glimpses. I particularly liked the portrayal of Dona Sebastiana, played by Tania Maria, who shelters everyone. The film really made me believe in this little community of people just trying to survive.
Of course, Wagner Moura dominates the film as Marcelo, delivering what might be his best performance yet. He captures every nuance of the character and conveys emotions so precisely that I often knew what Marcelo was thinking even when he said nothing at all. Moura also makes Marcelo’s complicated romantic life, torn between mourning his late wife and enjoying casual companionship, feel believable and grounded.
The community of refugees isn’t the only aspect the film makes feel lived-in. There’s an old theater run by Marcelo’s father-in-law that perfectly evokes a small, family-run cineplex. Filho also gives us tense sequences where we find ourselves in the path of hitmen charged with taking out Marcelo. Why Marcelo’s life is in danger, and how exactly he angered the regime, culminates in a very abrupt twist halfway through the film that recontextualizes everything we’ve been watching.
The film’s craft elements are exceptional with strong cinematography, period-perfect production design, costumes and hair that fully sell the setting, and a soundtrack with a handful of great needle-drops. The dialogue is sharp and only elevates the already excellent performances, Moura’s included. Once the film reveals its true intentions, it heads into a tense and thrilling third act capped by a gut-punch of a finale that lingers long after the credits roll.
My one major issue, however, is the pacing. It’s incredibly sluggish; not simply because the film is nearly three hours long, but because it doesn’t use that time efficiently. I’ve seen epics close to four hours that flew by faster. A tighter edit would have helped the film avoid stumbling over itself, especially since there’s so much here that genuinely works.
If you were a massive fan of I’m Still Here, I’d absolutely recommend The Secret Agent. It’s just as effective at depicting Brazil’s military dictatorship era, but this one adds an extra layer of genre elements and delivers an equally gut-punching ending. Wagner Moura is phenomenal, and it’s a shame the pacing doesn’t match the strength of everything else. I’ll revisit this before year’s end to see how it lands on a rewatch, but for now I give it a super strong B+.
“TL;DR”
Pros: On a performative and technical level the film is very well-made down to Wagner Moura’s great performance, its dialogue writing, its crafts, and its soundtrack
Cons: The pacing feels incredibly sluggish on first-watch in a way that makes me question its re-watchability
GRADING
