Intro: Finally back to the movies—it's still Oscars time, and we decide to go and watch this film before it leaves theaters.
Film 2453: "O Agente Secreto" (2025), Kleber Mendonça Filho
Watched: At the movies
Language: Portuguese, German
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I haven't seen many Brazilian movies in my life, so it was inevitable that I would compare this one to the one I watched a year ago, which was also nominated for multiple Oscars. The thing is, "O Agente Secreto" is not "Ainda Estou Aqui".
There are things I really enjoyed about this film: Wagner Moura, for one, is amazing. I think I saw him in previous American endeavours like "Elysium" and "Civil War", but I can't really say I remember his performances there. "The Secret Agent" was my real introduction to his work, and my oh my, I was impressed. I knew he didn't have a shot at winning Best Actor at the Oscars, but his is definitely one of my favourite performances from last year.
Furthermore, this is a very compelling story, especially for someone like me with no prior knowledge of Brazilian history. Once you get into the groove of the plot and how it’s told, once you figure out what the whole hairy leg situation is about, you do get invested. And here’s my biggest problem with this film: it's really hard to follow the story.
I know it might sound contradictory considering what I just said, but I found it really, really hard to follow everything that was going on—the time jumps, events I know nothing about, the number of characters, reading between the lines while also keeping up with subtitles, the three Wagner Moura characters... it’s a lot. Not even Debbi—who was born and raised in Brazil and lived there until 2023—knew about the leg thing and had to google it to understand what it meant (apparently it was a form of satire used in newspapers to call out shady police work back in the day, or at least that’s what she told me). I also had to check the plot on Wikipedia afterwards because I wasn’t sure about some parts (I should disclose that I fell asleep at one point, right at the pivotal moment of the sofa conversation where he's recording testimony about Ghirotti's corrupt activities. So yeah, that didn’t help).
Overall, I think "O Agente Secreto" is a good movie, but too chaotic for a story so complex and rich in detail and historical references that I knew nothing about. A more straightforward plotline would have definitely helped me grasp what I was watching without having to rely on the internet for a recap or further explanation. I'm not saying the story should have been simplified for international audiences, but at least for me, a more linear narration would have made a difference. And I know comparisons aren’t always fair, but the emotional impact that "Ainda Estou Aqui" had on me didn’t quite carry over here.
Cast: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Udo Kier.
Box Office: $22.5 million
Worth a watch?: Not an easy watch. The plot is dense (from Wikipedia: "It follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in political turmoil during the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution.") and the screenplay doesn’t make it particularly easy to follow what’s going on—or at least that was my experience. Wagner Moura delivers a performance for the ages and proves he’s a superstar.
Awards: 4 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Actor, Casting, and International Feature Film). 2 BAFTA nominations (Best Original Screenplay and Film Not in the English Language) and 2 Golden Globe wins (Best Foreign Language Film, Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) over 3 nominations (Best Motion Picture – Drama). Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2026 César Awards. The movie competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2025, where it won 4 awards (FIPRESCI Prize, Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai, Best Director, and Best Actor).
Key word: Hairy leg.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: At the movies
Language: Portuguese, German
Watched with: Niamh, Debbi
Thoughts: I haven't seen many Brazilian movies in my life, so it was inevitable that I would compare this one to the one I watched a year ago, which was also nominated for multiple Oscars. The thing is, "O Agente Secreto" is not "Ainda Estou Aqui".
There are things I really enjoyed about this film: Wagner Moura, for one, is amazing. I think I saw him in previous American endeavours like "Elysium" and "Civil War", but I can't really say I remember his performances there. "The Secret Agent" was my real introduction to his work, and my oh my, I was impressed. I knew he didn't have a shot at winning Best Actor at the Oscars, but his is definitely one of my favourite performances from last year.
Furthermore, this is a very compelling story, especially for someone like me with no prior knowledge of Brazilian history. Once you get into the groove of the plot and how it’s told, once you figure out what the whole hairy leg situation is about, you do get invested. And here’s my biggest problem with this film: it's really hard to follow the story.
I know it might sound contradictory considering what I just said, but I found it really, really hard to follow everything that was going on—the time jumps, events I know nothing about, the number of characters, reading between the lines while also keeping up with subtitles, the three Wagner Moura characters... it’s a lot. Not even Debbi—who was born and raised in Brazil and lived there until 2023—knew about the leg thing and had to google it to understand what it meant (apparently it was a form of satire used in newspapers to call out shady police work back in the day, or at least that’s what she told me). I also had to check the plot on Wikipedia afterwards because I wasn’t sure about some parts (I should disclose that I fell asleep at one point, right at the pivotal moment of the sofa conversation where he's recording testimony about Ghirotti's corrupt activities. So yeah, that didn’t help).
Overall, I think "O Agente Secreto" is a good movie, but too chaotic for a story so complex and rich in detail and historical references that I knew nothing about. A more straightforward plotline would have definitely helped me grasp what I was watching without having to rely on the internet for a recap or further explanation. I'm not saying the story should have been simplified for international audiences, but at least for me, a more linear narration would have made a difference. And I know comparisons aren’t always fair, but the emotional impact that "Ainda Estou Aqui" had on me didn’t quite carry over here.
Cast: Wagner Moura, Carlos Francisco, Tânia Maria, Robério Diógenes, Alice Carvalho, Gabriel Leone, Maria Fernanda Cândido, Udo Kier.
Box Office: $22.5 million
Worth a watch?: Not an easy watch. The plot is dense (from Wikipedia: "It follows Armando (Wagner Moura), a former professor caught in political turmoil during the Brazilian military dictatorship, attempting to flee persecution.") and the screenplay doesn’t make it particularly easy to follow what’s going on—or at least that was my experience. Wagner Moura delivers a performance for the ages and proves he’s a superstar.
Awards: 4 Oscar nominations (Best Picture, Actor, Casting, and International Feature Film). 2 BAFTA nominations (Best Original Screenplay and Film Not in the English Language) and 2 Golden Globe wins (Best Foreign Language Film, Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama) over 3 nominations (Best Motion Picture – Drama). Nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2026 César Awards. The movie competed for the Palme d'Or at Cannes 2025, where it won 4 awards (FIPRESCI Prize, Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai, Best Director, and Best Actor).
Key word: Hairy leg.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
