As we approach this weekend’s Oscars ceremony, arguably the most competitive and interesting category will be for the best international feature film. One of the front runners is The Secret Agent, the latest movie by Brazilian filmmaker, Kleber Mendonça Filho. The Secret Agent is set in 1970s Brazil, a time of “mischief” as the film puts it which turns out to mean corruption, murder, paranoia and at times just plain absurdity. All of which is depicted in Filho’s film. Wagner Moura (also nominated for his performance, having already won best Actor at Cannes for this role), stars as Marcelo, a man who is introduced to us driving a yellow Beetle and pulling up to a gas station where he encounters a dead body. He’s then approached by police officers who don’t seem too concerned with the rotting body, but would rather inspect Marcelo’s car and extort some money from him. Marcelo, unruffled, calmly exchanges some cigarettes in exchange for safe passage. Why did they want money? Wh...