The Mole Agent

The Mole Agent (Spanish: El agente topo) is a 2020 internationally co-produced documentary film directed by Maite Alberdi.[2] It was screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.[3] It was selected as the Chilean entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards [4] and for the Best Iberoamerican Film at the 35th Goya Awards receiving a nomination for the latter.

The Mole Agent
Film poster
SpanishEl agente topo
Directed byMaite Alberdi
Produced byMarcela Santibañez
Written byMaite Alberdi
CinematographyPablo Valdés
Edited byCarolina Siraqyan
Production
company
Distributed by
Release date
  • 25 January 2020 (2020-01-25) (Sundance)
  • 1 September 2020 (2020-09-01) (United States)
  • 10 December 2020 (2020-12-10) (Netherlands)
Running time
84 minutes
Country
  • Chile
  • United States
  • Germany
  • Netherlands
  • Spain
LanguageSpanish
Box office$44,450[1]

Synopsis

A private investigator hires an elderly man to go undercover in a nursing home in Chile.[5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on 25 January 2020.[6][7] In August 2020, Gravitas Ventures acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film, and set it for a 1 September 2020, release.[8] The film will be broadcast on PBS on 25 January 2021, as part of their POV program.[9] It was released in the Netherlands on 10 December 2020, by Cinema Delicatessen.[10]

Reception

Critical response

On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 94% based on 51 reviews, with an average rating of 7.50/10. The critical consensus reads "Warm and funny, The Mole Agent offers audiences a poignant reminder that it's never too late to forge new connections and embark on new adventures."[11] On Metacritic the film has a weighted average score of 69 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[12]

Glenn Kenny of The New York Times gave the film a positive review commenting: "The film’s people are moving, and the payoff is compassionate, humane and worth heeding.".[13] Nick Allen of RogerEbert.com rated the movie three stars out of four writing: "The documentary succeeds with its tenderness, while vividly reminding us how easily society can forget its elders.".[14]

Awards and nominations
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Goya Awards 6 March 2021 Best Iberoamerican Film The Mole Agent Pending [15]
Independent Spirit Awards 22 April 2021 Best Documentary Feature Pending [16]
North Texas Film Critics Association Awards 25 January 2021 Best Foreign Language Film Nominated [17]
National Board of Review January 26, 2021 Top 5 Foreign Language Films Won [18]

See also

References
  1. "The Mole Agent". The Numbers. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  2. "'The Mole Agent' Review: Undercover, Where You Least Expect Him". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  3. "'The Mole Agent': Sundance Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  4. ""El Agente Topo" será el representante de Chile en los premios Oscar". Fotech. 19 November 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. "The Mole Agent: the story of the most unusual documentary of the year". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2020.
  6. Siegel, Tatiana (4 December 2019). "Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  7. "The Mole Agent". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  8. Rama (5 August 2020). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Documentary THE MOLE AGENT". Rama Screen. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  9. "The Mole Agent". PBS. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  10. "The Mole Agent". Cinema Delicatessen. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  11. "The Mole Agent". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  12. "The Mole Agent Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  13. Kenny, Glenn (1 September 2020). "'The Mole Agent' Review: Undercover, Where You Least Expect Him". The New York Times.
  14. Allen, Nick (1 September 2020). "The Mole Agent". RogerEbert.com.
  15. Belinchón, Gregorio (18 January 2021). "'Adú', 'Akelarre' y 'Las niñas' lideran las nominaciones a los Goya 2021". El País. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  16. Lewis, Hilary (26 January 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always,' 'Minari,' 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' 'Nomadland' Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  17. "North Texas Film Critics Association Nominations Announced". DallasWeekly. 25 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  18. Davis, Clayton (26 January 2021). "National Board of Review Names 'Da 5 Bloods' Best Picture, Spike Lee Becomes Second Black Director Winner". Variety. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
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