"THE SECRET AGENT" - MINI-REVIEW
A Brazil-set 70s paranoid thriller that looks and feels as though it was made in the 70s, THE SECRET AGENT is a twisty, turny snapshot of people doing the best they can in a world gone mad.
Even if you have a hard time following writer/director Kleber Mendonça Filho’s labyrinthine narrative (I did at times) or if you bristle at some of its more big, bold stylistic swings (I didn’t), it is a playful, visually sumptuous and transportive experience about a place in time, the interweaving of personal and political tumult at the hands of several tiers of corrupt power from industrialists to local police to low-level hitmen, and all anchored by a quiet yet magnetic performance by Wagner Moura. It’s fun to watch, it’s thrilling, and it’s human.
Nominated for 4 Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best International Film, and Best Casting), THE SECRET AGENT returns to area theaters this weekend in the lead up to the Oscars on March 15, but is also available to rent at home or stream on Hulu.
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Zach is a proud member of the Minnesota Film Critics Association (MNFCA). For more info about Zach, the organization, or to read other great reviews from other great Minnesota-based film critics, click here: www.mnfca.com