Safe Return Doubtful

O Agente Secreto – Brazil – 2025

Set to the background of a military dictatorship in the Brazil of 1977 if this was to be judged solely on its plot it would be entertaining, but not memorable, and overhyped by the media and its Oscar nomination. But.. 

..it is memorable because of some outstanding scenes which in themselves are great moments of cinema. 

The opening is perhaps the best example of this. Marcelo sees the Carnaval of a buzzing Recife as refuge from a clash with corrupt authorities who want him dead. On his way, in a yellow VW Beetle he arrives at a fuel station in the middle of nowhere. A body lies in the forecourt as it has for a week, covered by a piece of cardboard and a stone. The pump attendant fills the Beetle after a brief explanation. Police arrive.. to deal with the corpse the attendant hopes, but no, it is to question Marcelo. It’s one of the strongest opening scenes I can recall seeing. 

I suppose inevitably, the film cannot maintain this tension, but from the stark bleakness of the fuel station the action moves to Recife, where the cinematography excels again. Notably in a chase scene. 

It’s 160 minutes never seem long, as it proceeds in an unhurried confidence, punctuated by crazy humour, moments of sadness, and starting eroticism. It’s an intentional slow pace, designed that the viewer inhabits Marcelo’s precarious existence on the lively streets of Recife. 

The main performances are excellent as one would expect from a film so highly acclaimed, but it is the minor ones, those who the camera just passes briefly, those with one line or less, that play a huge part in making this so powerful. 

IMDb score 7.6 / 10 – My score 9 / 10