I must start this review by saying how much I adore The Secret Agent: I adore it very, very much. So much in fact, I saw it twice in two days. It is so stylistically satisfying, and the storytelling is so off the wall, it’s intoxicating. The performances are fully captivating, and the music? Don’t even get me started. All that being said, at first, the ending of the film left me feeling pretty frustrated. Upon a second watch however, all of its ingenious themes and ideas fully came into fruition.
Kleber Mendoça Filho has created yet another astounding and beautifully crafted film. The only film I have seen by him before is 2019’s Bacurau, and it is one absurdly blood-soaked and riveting Political-Brazilian-Western. Filho has quite the penchant for creating wild stories in well-worn genres while giddily defying expectations. Now, The Secret Agent is the most awarded film at Cannes this year, and I can certainly see why.
A magnetic star
Wagner Moura is a force to be reckoned with in this one, dramatically speaking. Most well known for his turn as Pablo Escobar in Netflix’s hit series Narcos, he has since slimmed down and stepped up to a series of film roles.
He is the perfect leading man. Moura plays Marcelo, a man in 1977 Brazil with a lot of heat on his name. Marcelo is hiding out with a group of refugees in similar positions. He hopes that he can clear his name, save his son, and flee the country.
The story as it is told is anything but orthodox, and Moura is fully equipped for his role. The tone constantly shifts from tense, to lighthearted, to totally wacky at a rapid pace, stopping abruptly on some more serious sequences to give you just enough time to breathe. It’s in these moments that Filho allows the audience to reflect on everything he’s thrown at them- and it’s a hell of a lot.
Brazil 1977…
The story and its characters are fictional, though it’s clear how much culture and history Filho is imbuing into the story along the way. There are many references to stories and real life occurrences sprinkled into Filho’s story, ranging from devastating to hilarious. This thing is a monumental piece of historical fiction, experimental and referential in ways I refuse to spoil.
The backdrop to Armando’s crazy tale is beautifully, vibrantly breathtaking- and mostly on a smaller, subtle scale. Everything in every frame is constantly working to tickle the retinas. From extras to costumes, cars, streets, telephones, and eye-catching architecture, everything works beautifully to create a constantly shifting and colorful mosaic of life in 70s Brazil.
Armando’s story is just one of many, a man walking through several varied stories of their own. This is amplified heavily by an array of fascinating characters, all of whose likability ranges from lovable to despicable. It’s such a joy watching these heroes and villains swap in and out of each other’s lives. Each and every exchange gives new meaning to either the film’s stories or themes in a sneakily layered manner.
A story structure like no other
This film has the best opening of any I have seen all year. It hooks you in such a funny yet intriguing way, and this alluring style is used consistently throughout the runtime. Scene to scene you are thrown into moments of shock, pleasure, disgust or pain, an emotional rollercoaster in every sense of the metaphor.
The way the story unfolds is such a brilliant stroke of script-writing genius, I dare not even speak to the many layers at hand. What I can say is that you will constantly be baffled, only to realize things that were planted from the very start, sometimes in a way that’s breathlessly unimaginable. Filho has built a mystery-thriller like no other I have ever seen, and still, it draws on the genre’s greatest strengths and weaknesses.
Something to talk about
What I love most about this movie is its utter originality. I went into it expecting something- and what I was expecting was there, for sure. A political thriller set in 1977 Brazil- that is definitely all there. But this film is so much more than that.
Filho has concocted a lethal dose of cinematic pop, one that hits you like a brick to the chest and a shock to the brain. I was so fully invested in this movie, every step of the way delighted me. Every new character, new story beat, twist, needle drop, and dramatic confrontation was electric. As a watchable movie it fully succeeds, and as a story to tell, it leaves me wanting more, in a way I appreciate with each new watch.
I was constantly trying to guess just how Filho was going to wrap things up. I had several predictions as to where Marcelo’s story was going, and not one of them turned out to be true. Filho continually bobbed and weaved around my expectations in a way that, after my first viewing, genuinely pissed me off.
But sometimes closure is overrated.
The crowd goes “huh?”
After I finished watching this film at the Dedham Community Theatre where I work, several audience members and I had scattered discussions about the absurdity of it all- and it was awesome. This is why I love movies so much, and this is really why they’re here. They should inspire discussion, make us feel unfelt feelings, and give us something to think about- and I’ve been thinking about it since I left that theatre.
The Secret Agent fully succeeds as both entertainment and a think piece. The script is brilliant, I just haven’t quite figured it out yet. The acting is gripping, and the soundtrack is groovy as hell. It’s a grand time at the movies, and one that will have you scratching your head. In other words- it’s a pretty perfectly imperfect film.
The Secret Agent is playing in theaters now, go see it so you can tell me what you think.
