Ever wondered if there’s a documentary as entertaining, thrilling and original as a fiction film? Well I have, and now The Mole Agent is here to fill that ponderance. Documentaries tend to get a bad wrap in the movie business. They tend to be shoved aside and be labelled as dull, monotonous, and just plain uninteresting. This is a hard medium to produce gems in, but The Mole Agent is a real crowning achievement. There’s such a precise skillset at play that keeps you engaged and fixed to the edge of your seat. The film examines an old folk’s home in Chile through the elder subject Sergio. He is absolutely delightful to watch. You’re always following him with focus and he brings a levity that never distracts from the core topic of the film. You are granted a realistic grasp on each person in this space, with the elders interacting genuinely and going at their own pace. It feels really unique and at times there’s a jarring feeling of some control of drama when there isn’t any. This continues to the directing and shot coverage with such strong immersion adding flavour to the documentarian feel. You truly feel included, and the themes of growing old and elder neglect shine amongst some of the most humorous natural events. It all comes to a crushing finish that I can’t get over but shouldn’t reveal. This is a real treat you should give yourself and a definite recommended watch.
“Eight out of ten… Do we have any mole agents around us now?”