Review: The Secret Agent

Official synopsis: In 1977, a technology expert, Marcelo (Wagner Moura) flees from a mysterious past and returns to his hometown of Recife in search of peace. He soon realizes that the city is far from being the refuge he seeks.

This film has had a steady amount of buzz since Cannes and is very likely going to be among the Best International Oscar contenders. Maybe even Wager Moura as a lead actor, he'd certainly deserve that. I feel pretty lucky that I've gotten to see as many of the International contenders before the nominations are even announced. Usually it's the other way around.

That being said, I liked, but did not love The Secret Agent. This is a pretty hefty film to get through, and the way it's told - often jumping from the past and present, deliberately misleading viewers, referencing Brazilian folklore that my ignorant American ass knew nothing about - was sometimes cumbersome. There was quite a lot of Googling happening after my watch.

It's hard not to compare this to last year's I'm Still Here, another film set during the Brazilian military dictatorship. That story just felt tighter. At over 2 hours and 40 minutes, there's a LOT of movie to get through, and the first hour takes its dear sweet time. What really ended up surprising me was the ending. I know from other reviews it's divisive, but I thought it was really well done. It's sad, but something about it brought closure to what I had just witnessed. 

Wager Moura's performance is the biggest reason to see this. He's absolutely incredible in the lead role. There's also a nice subplot for movie lovers. I appreciated every scene shot in a cinema.

I think this is going to be a film that gets better on its second viewing. Not perfect, but still worth the watch.

Grade: B