‘The Secret Agent’ Hits U.S. Theaters to Raves — 92 on Metacritic

It’s a holiday in the U.S., and let’s all be thankful we have a few great films playing in theaters this week, although in limited rollout. No great Hollywood titles currently playing, although “Predator: Badlands” comes closest to being “good.”

Although I found this year’s edition of Cannes to be middle-tier, it turns out the rest of the year in cinema would be fairly weak in terms of genuine knockouts, and the Cannes titles have risen above most: “Sirat,” “The Mastermind,” “Nouvelle Vague,” “It Was Just An Accident.” There has also been plenty of love for “Sentimental Value,” which I wasn’t much taken by.

Then there’s Kleber Mendonça Filho’s “The Secret Agent,” which I rewatched at TIFF after coming away with somewhat positive impressions from its Cannes premiere. The second time was the charm. This is an incredibly complex, layered work—one of the year’s very best films.

Mendonça Filho has made this tense, and rambling film, a politically charged 160-minute thriller set in 1970s Brazil, which weaves cinema itself into the narrative and features a knockout performance from Wagner Moura.

Moura plays Marcelo Alves—a former academic and technology researcher on the run, fleeing political persecution in 1977 Brazil—who assumes a new identity while hiding, as he tries to protect himself and reunite with his son.

I agree with Steve Pond, who says, “Its messiness is part of its charm.” There’s so much packed into this dual-timeline film, and there really isn’t much plot in the conventional sense. It’s all about atmosphere, and it certainly helps that the film is directed, shot, and edited to perfection. The climax is both surprising and touching, subverting the story on its heels.

Best of all, the cinematography in “The Secret Agent” instantly elevates the film, and Evgenia Alexandrova is the reason it crackles with so much heat and paranoia. I love her vividly saturated palette — especially those yellows. The sun-scorched hues clash against the film’s darker, more sinister undercurrents, giving the entire experience this stunning visual tension. The film plays like a fever dream.

Back in September, following what Variety called a “national debate” that sparked major controversy, Brazil ultimately selected ‘Secret Agent’ as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards. The film is now in theaters, and reviews are unsurprisingly glowing—it’s come to the point where Moura has even turned into an acting Oscar contender.