Ron’s Review

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What an unusual film. I'm so glad I watched it. The film gives away nothing for the longest amount of time. We just keep getting sucked into the story with the plot details being revealed ever-so-slowly. We spend time with the characters, with Marselo (enigmatic and very beautiful Wagner Moura), but we don't know what his situation is and what he's doing.

As we learn more, we realise there's so much happening in Marselo's life, and that there's a deep threat that he has to prepare himself and his loved ones for. There are a few flashbacks and flashforwards that add to the mystery.

There are some bizarre moments of gore and horror that completely threw me but surprisingly made sense. It was so random but yet, so immersive.

This cast is incredible. And so diverse! I loved seeing how many kinds of people, how many people of colour Brazil has. It was so effortless and it made the film and the country feel so full of life.

Moura is so real and believable. Not a single expression or note out of place. The only thing that threw me was how pretty he is! He really stands out. But then, we get to the end and Moura is astounding. I was so gobsmacked by his performance--the nuance, the layers, the 360 degrees he does.

The filmmaking felt like guerrilla shooting at times. It was so on the ground without being that awful shaky cam.

This is an incredibly well-made but unusual film. I'm delighted it's being recognized.

Mon’s Review

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I did not know what I was getting into and that is truly the best way to watch this film. We follow one person as he watches, witnesses, lives and hopes under a cloud of corruption, violence and loss. All of which is systemic and unavoidable.

The story is full of twists. We don’t even know who our protagonist really is, how can we understand what and why he’s going through all this. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a film this cryptic. And yet, I couldn’t stop watching. I was immersed into 1977 Brazil from the get-go. The horrors that are just a natural part of life; the friendliness of a truly multicultural society; the love and loss of life. We’re in it with Marcelo, our protagonist, every step of the way.

The film is an effortless tale. Languidly paced, it’s a slice of life with layers of storytelling. We learn about the politics and class system of the country simply through the events that Marcello is part of, or affected by. We’re walking in his shoes.

I was blown away by how natural the whole film felt. It reminded me of Roma (a film I also loved for these same reasons) and old-school Bengali films. They were stories first and foremost about people and how the world they lived in impacted them. This realness is only possible with astute writing and because of the cinematography which captures the look of everyday life. You can feel the heat of the summer. You can enjoy the bustling town during the Carnival. The camera is also static or frenetic at exactly the right moment. Truly brilliant direction and editing and camerawork all around.

The performances are outstanding. Absolutely none of the actors seem to be acting. They’re people interacting. That’s it. That’s how brilliant they all are. But of course, you can’t not spot Wagner Moura among all of them. The man is almost too handsome to be in this film, but he fits in casually and naturally. His performance is so subtle, full of emotion and restraint. It’s truly impossible to tell that he isn’t Marcelo. But, no spoilers, but his brilliance truly shines in the final act. I was just gobsmacked watching him.

My favourite thing about this film was how diverse it was. You have people of so many races, ethnicities, cultures, countries, and religions. They’re all part of Brazil. There are tensions and misunderstandings from the bigots in the story, but that intentionally makes them look even worse against the good people in the tale.

Utterly fabulous, albeit a bit strange, The Secret Agent is unmissable.