Running Time: 161 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Roney Villela, Gabriel Leone, Alice Carvalho, Hermila Guedes, Isabél Zuaa, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Thomás Aquino, Udo Kier
Brazil, 1977. On-screen text describes this as "a time of great mischief" before opening with Armando (Wagner Moura) arriving at a deserted petrol station in his yellow Volkswagen Beetle. Laying just outside is a barely covered corpse, rotting away in the sun days after a failed knife attack. A police car soon arrives, but the driver is not interested in the body, focused instead on checking Armando's I.D., searching his car, and extorting him out of his last cigarettes. This opening makes two things clear to viewers; the corruption lurking within this police force, and how much of an understatement the term "great mischief" was.
It turns out that Armando is a widower, father, and former academic who is hiding out from corrupt forces hunting him. Biding his time in Recife during carnival season, he awaits fake passports so that he can flee the country with his young son. Until then, Armando stays at a commune with other "refugees", and works in an identity card office under the fake name of Marcello.
Across the 161-minute runtime, writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho crafts a slow-burn story whose focus grows more clear as it progresses. As the pieces slot into place, what unfolds is an engrossing look at corruption lurking in plain sight within the sun-drenched location, and the guises it takes under flimsy justifications. The lengthy runtime and deliberate pacing may not be for all, but those on this film's wavelength will find a rewarding experience.
Much like his previous film, 2020's marvellous Bacurau, Filho weaves into the narrative a community run by a formidable matriarch. While this may be just one factor of the ensuing film, the makeshift bonds shared in quieter moments will have you aching for the humanity that is at risk within this dictatorship. Much like those who inhabit the vibrant city, viewers are witnessing people trying to keep moving in spite of the corrupt figures in power.
This is also a film that is unafraid to be weird, whether it is the discovery of a severed leg within a shark, or a park attack sequence that feels taken from a B-movie. Yet, even such jarring detours are rooted within presiding themes of corruption, offering a different view on the immoral regime. Add onto this a tense chase sequence, a powerful conversation in a restaurant, or melancholic reflections, and this is exceptionally crafted filmmaking.
Anchoring to this film is a powerhouse performance from Wagner Moura, who captures such a lived-in experience regardless of what point in the story we see him in. So much is conveyed on his face across the runtime, ensuring that every look speaks a thousand words. It is also worth mentioning how Alice Carvalho leaves a lasting impression despite her limited screentime, Carlos Francisco offering a warm supporting performance, and Udo Kier giving an exemplary cameo appearance for his final feature. Through this politically charged work that is a strange concoction of thrills, heartbreak, and genre detours, The Secret Agent is an utter triumph.
The Secret Agent is available in UK Cinemas now
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