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The Mole Agent (2020)

The Mole Agent (2020)

A senior citizen becomes resident home spy in this surprisingly warm documentary

7.2

Movie

Chile, Chile Netherlands Spain Germany USA
Spanish
Documentary
2020
FEMALE DIRECTOR, MAITE ALBERDI
Berta Ureta, Marta Olivares, Rómulo Aitken
90 min

TLDR

Missing my grandparents today.

What it's about

To investigate a retirement home for elder abuse, private investigator Romulo recruits Sergio, an 83-year-old man, to become a resident mole. As he befriends the residents, he struggles to balance his assignment and becomes involved in their lives.

The take

Going deep undercover, integrating one’s self into a group without any suspicion, and passing out information to another party… That’s the job of a mole. While they mostly lurk in various government agencies, laboratories, and other special circles of power, The Mole Agent instead goes deep undercover in a Chilean retirement home, having stakes that may not be world-ending, but take more personal, domestic weight as Sergio befriends the residents, records and reports on their well-being, and tries to figure out what exactly Romulo wants as evidence. It’s a funny situation, one that depicts the resident home with warmth, albeit with the occasional spy cams and an old-fashioned piano score, but it can be difficult to figure out where the line is between truth and fiction, as some scenes can feel a bit staged. Still, The Mole Agent is a charming portrait of old age, made so compelling with director Maite Alberdi’s unusual perspective.

What stands out

The direction.

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