The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent
Starring Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tania Maria, Roberio Diogenes
Directed by Kieber Mendonca Filho

Some movies out there lead you by the hand in the direction they want you to go, while others craft an eloquent, subdued, sweeping story on its own terms and leaves it up to you to traverse the journey yourself. "The Secret Agent" is one such film, a sweeping, poignant, deeply character-driven epic set during the military dictatorship of Brazil in 1977, and one man's journey to bring his mother's legacy to life, reunite with his son, and also has a mysterious past that threatens to end his life.

Armando Solimoes (Wagner Moura) arrives in Recife, the capital city of Pernambuco, Brazil and meets up with his contact, the elderly Dona Sebastiana (Tania Maria) where he stays in her complex with other political dissidents hiding from their pasts. She calls him "Marcelo" to hide his identity, and gets him a job at the city's identification card office where he searches for papers about his mother. He also reconnects with his former father-in-law after losing his wife, and reunites with his young son Fernando (Enzo Nunes).

Meanwhile, hitmen Agusto (Roney Villela) and Bobbi (Gabriel Leone) are hired to kill Armando, and the streets are soaked with blood and corruption. Armando risks everything to find a way to get his son out of the situation, but as tensions rise in the streets and violence rages on, he has to be more careful about who he trusts and his own instincts.

"The Secret Agent" is a movie that's not for everyone, but for the diehard cinefile who appreciates a very slow burn story that many would find disjointed or meandering, but fully understands that's part of the charm. To not know everything means there's always a mystery to solve, and will keep you on your toes. We don't know entirely Armando's story, but we don't need to - Oscar-nominee Wagner Moura tells us more with his deep, emotional expressions than any exposition dump could ever accomplish. We see something in his life that he can't get past, and that past is quickly catching up to him.

At almost three hours, "The Secret Agent" is not an easy sit-through if you're looking for something light, but considering the subject matter you wouldn't be doing that in the first place. This feels like a lived-in place, with stunning cinematography, dazzling costume designs and impeccable performances that elevate even the smallest roles - from Tania Maria's gruff but lovable Dona Sebastiana to Kaiony Venancio's Vilmar who's brought in near the end, and the final performance of Udo Kier as a Holocaust survivor and more, each character is given room to breathe and shine in their own right, but this is ultimately Moura's project, and he more than excels in the lead role.

There's other subplots that the movie touches in that ultimately points back to the main point, including an adventure with a human leg found in a shark and some strange events that happen after, but all of this is done to show the corruption, fear, and murder that ran rampant during that time in Brazil. It's a beautiful, one-of-a-kind film that'll stick with you if you're fortunate enough to follow its path.

The Score: A+