Film Review - The Secret Agent
Images courtesy of Rialto Distribution.
Fresh off of winning two Golden Globes, including Best Actor in the drama category, Brazil’s The Secret Agent is now a serious awards season contender that will give a number of English-language films a run for their money come Oscars night.
Set in Brazil in 1977, the story follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former technology professor and widower who has had to flee persecution under the Brazilian military regime. Returning to his hometown of Recife, Armando hopes to remain unseen and takes on a new identity under the name Marcelo. There, he is reunited with his son Fernando (Enzo Nunes) and in-laws, and resides at a refuge specifically for people in his situation. However, Armando doesn’t know that a hit has been put out on him by former government colleague Henrique Ghirotti (Luciano Chirolli), who has a vendetta against him, and hitmen Bobbi (Gabriel Leone) and Augusto (Roney Villela) are right on his trail.
The meticulous attention to detail for capturing the period and place is instantly noticeable when The Secret Agent begins. Thanks to impressive production design, costumes, and music (which in particular is impressively used to create tension), viewers will be directly transported to the late ‘70s in Brazil. The atmosphere feels lively yet gritty, encapsulating the surrounding vibrant culture but also instilling a sense of danger and urgency. It is a superbly well-shot film, anchored by a strong leading turn from now Golden Globe-winner Moura. Armando’s journey provides sharp social commentary on dictatorships and the political agency that is taken away from individuals in the face of oppression. He encounters a number of individuals throughout the course of the film, but the standout has to be Tânia Maria as Dona Sebastiana, the feisty little old lady who runs the refuge. She is an absolute scene stealer.
While The Secret Agent presents a lot of timely and thematically engaging material, it can get lost in an overstuffed and convoluted plot that is at times difficult to follow. The line between certain characters and plot threads tends to blur, and frankly, the pacing isn’t tight enough to engage viewers for its whopper runtime of two hours and forty-one minutes. It is a shame, because the promise of a great film is there, but it just isn’t fully realised.
The Secret Agent works effectively as a Brazilian period piece and acting showcase, but the script lacks the bite to make it truly gripping.
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The Secret Agent is screening in cinemas now. For tickets and more info, click here.