by Linda Kay

Original Title: O Agente Secreto

Directed by: Kleber Mendonça Filho

Synopsis: A man known as Marcelo (Wagner Moura) seeks escape from a troubled past in his hometown of Recife, Brazil, but the corruption inherit in the politics of the country in the 1970’s threaten to tear his world apart.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Upon arriving in Recife, Marcelo is taken in by an elderly woman named Dona Sebastiana (Tânia Maria) who offers shelter for various refugees. As he is getting settled into his room he notices and seems pleased by the sight of a tuxedo cat outside the doorway. As the cat approaches, Marcelo seems alarmed. It isn’t until the kitty gets close we see she is a Janus cat with two faces. Dona explains the cat was born in the country and brought there by her daughter Geisa and that their names are Liza and Elis (reportedly named for the singers Liza Minnelli and Elis Regina).

Liza / Elis is seen only once more later in the movie. The cat, whose diprosopus was created using CGI, is a clear representation of not only the duality of the corrupt government but also the double lives led by the refugees, many of whom also have two identities and two names.

Final Mewsings: Cats may be two-faced but are never duplicitious.

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