The Secret Agent

by Mike McGranaghan

The first scene in The Secret Agent features a dead body, covered by a sheet of cardboard, rotting in a gas station parking lot. The second scene has a human leg found inside the body of a dead shark. A few minutes later, there’s a cat with two faces. These three elements were enough to completely earn my undivided attention. Writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho (Bacurau) has devised a story that introduces many additional mysterious pieces, making you eager to find out how they fit together.

The setting is Brazil in 1977. Technology expert Marcelo (Wagner Moura) arrives in the town of Recife, just as the annual carnival celebration begins. His goal is to reunite with the young son living with his in-laws. Marcelo moves into a building with other political refugees and is greeted warmly by Euclides (Robério Diógenes), the corrupt police chief investigating how that leg ended up in that shark. Something about the guy seems fishy, no pun intended. Meanwhile, two assassins show up with orders to kill Marcelo. They’re simply more of the criminals for hire in Recife.

The mystery in the movie is why Marcelo is on the run. While that’s eventually answered, it isn’t exactly the main thrust of the story. The Secret Agent is more about how this man tries to navigate the morass of corruption and immorality that runs rampant in town. Marcelo comes to Recife seeking sanctuary, only to discover that danger lurks around every corner. Even his efforts to pose as a civil servant expose him to threats. Although not technically a comedy, there’s something darkly funny about how unfailingly twisted the local dynamics are.

Filho doles out information at a gradual pace. That’s what hooks you. Scenes begin by getting you to notice the interactions between characters. You start to scrutinize what they’re doing and what it might mean. Their exchanges usually seem to have multiple layers. Then you realize an important piece of information has been subtly added, giving a slightly clearer picture of Marcelo’s situation. Viewers who prefer to have everything blatantly spelled out from beginning to end might become frustrated by the methodical plotting; those who surrender to the vibe will be transfixed.

The reason it works is that this perfectly realized world is filled with fascinating characters. Wagner Moura gives one of the year’s most interesting performances, playing Marcelo close to the vest, so that there’s always a hint of intrigue about him. Taking such a low-key approach guarantees that we watch him like a hawk. The supporting players match Moura’s authentic energy, each of them bringing color to their roles while also making apparent the impact they have on Marcelo. There’s a cumulative effect to the casting, wherein every player, no matter how small, works to sell the idea that there’s a bustling, seedy underbelly in Recife – one that’s closing in on our hero.

Filho makes the unusual, initially confusing choice to incorporate modern-day scenes in which a young researcher listens to audio recordings of events we see play out. The movie’s finale is predicated on that woman and who she ends up encountering as a result. It feels slightly anticlimactic, even as it sends off an eerie note of nihilism. Or perhaps my mind is just cynical. Either way, I’d need a second viewing to determine if the payoff actually does pay off.

The Secret Agent is still pretty great overall. And, really, how many times do you walk out of a film grappling with its ideas or its presentation of those ideas? That’s the beauty of the picture. In telling Marcelo’s story, it asks us to think about how we stay the course when dark forces are manipulating things behind the scenes. A question for the ages, asked by a movie that radiates intelligence.

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