He’s no James Bond, but in ‘The Secret Agent,’ an ordinary man has a score to settle

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Kleber Mendonça Filho’s latest film, “The Secret Agent,” explores Brazil’s turbulent past to shed light on the present. The movie begins and ends with death, focusing on the story of an average man caught up in the political unrest of the late 1970s. While it has elements of a thriller, this award-winning film playfully mixes serious drama with nods to low-budget, over-the-top movies. Rather than a fast-paced story, “The Secret Agent” slowly reveals its meaning, with a final reveal nearly 50 years later that completes the picture.

I was completely hooked from the very beginning of this film. Wagner Moura plays Armando, and the story starts with him driving to Recife in 1977. He stops at this desolate gas station and sees a body, just lying there covered with cardboard – apparently it’s been there a while, and no one really seems to care. Then, just as you’re taking it all in, the police show up, but they aren’t there to investigate the death. They want a bribe from Armando! It instantly sets the scene – the director, Mendonça Filho, who I loved in “Bacurau,” makes it clear we’re entering a really harsh period. It’s a brutal dictatorship where life doesn’t seem to matter and you’re completely on your own. It’s a powerful and unsettling opening, and it really grabbed me.

Armando is already a fugitive, using the name Marcelo to stay hidden from powerful people who are after him. He was once a scientist, but a tragic past – revealed through flashbacks – forced him to assume a new identity and consider leaving Brazil. Now, he needs to rescue his son, Fernando, who is being cared for by his late wife, Fátima’s, parents. He quickly discovers that a corrupt official has put a hit out on him. Armando has gone from doing technology research to being a wanted man.

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Following memorable roles in “Narcos” and “Civil War,” the Brazilian actor delivers a nuanced and captivating performance as the lead in the critically acclaimed film, “The Secret Agent.”

Mendonça Filho’s award-winning film, “The Secret Agent,” continues his habit of blending different types of storytelling. His movies don’t follow typical rules, seamlessly mixing lighthearted moments with serious commentary on government control. (The film playfully warns us at the beginning it’s set during a chaotic time.) The late actor Udo Kier appears in his second Mendonça Filho film, highlighting the movie’s unpredictable nature and its underlying empathy for those haunted by the past. The story takes an unexpected turn when the film jumps to the present day, showing young women listening to recordings of the main characters. This initially jarring shift eventually becomes a key part of the plot, allowing Mendonça Filho to connect the past and present thematically.

The film, which runs a little over two and a half hours, gradually adds more characters and their backstories as it progresses. We’re introduced to the other refugees staying in an apartment building managed by a wonderfully grumpy woman (Tânia Maria). Armando begins a new relationship (with Hermila Guedes) and also deals with Fátima’s suspicious parents, who believe he was unfaithful to her. The director even spends time showing us the hitmen (Gabriel Leone, Roney Villela) hired to get rid of Armando.

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We went in with incredibly high hopes, and we weren’t disappointed! We found ten films that truly blew us away, including fantastic new releases from directors Lynne Ramsay, Jafar Panahi, and Nadav Lapid.

“The Secret Agent” feels expansive and novelistic in its scope, though this occasionally slows things down. The film’s setting during Carnival is visually rich, but the festival’s energy is overshadowed by the film’s own creative flair. It’s not just a tribute to the blockbuster “Jaws,” but also subtly incorporates shark imagery throughout. The soundtrack blends lively Brazilian pop songs with the sentimental sounds of Chicago’s “If You Leave Me Now.” Expect shocking moments, like severed legs, and surreal imagery, such as three-eyed cats. Interwoven with the main story are glimpses of a modern-day researcher, Laura Lufési, studying the events as if they were a historical tale.

Though the film is ambitious, its richness feels deliberate, a powerful response to the silencing tactics of a brutal government. Wagner Moura delivers a compelling performance as Armando, a man of integrity struggling with pain and attraction in a chaotic world. Armando is flawed, but his resistance makes him a captivating, if unlikely, hero. The film subtly honors all the unsung activists of the past, and even its shocking ending feels less like outrage and more like a weary acceptance – a reminder that today’s tragedies will eventually become history. “The Secret Agent” urges us to remember those who fought for justice and to listen to the lessons of their experiences.

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2025-12-06 05:02