From the beginning of the genre, people have debated whether documentaries count as fiction or non-fiction. The credibility of “
Nanook of the North,” which featured many engineered scenes, has long been questioned. This back-and-forth continues to this day. Among this year's Oscar-nominated documentations is “
The Mole Agent.” A Chilean film with a somewhat far-fetched premise, director Maite Alberdi has admitted that several of the film's sequences were
staged for the camera. Despite the accusation, there's been relatively little controversy surrounding the film being presented as a factual documentary. I guess people don't mind the lines being blurred if the film-making is strong enough.
The A&A Detective Agency places an unusual want ad in the paper: They require an 80-to-90 year old man who is active, intelligent, and proficient with technology. After seeing many candidates, they settle on Sergio. The agency has been hired to investigate claims of elder abuse in a local nursing home. Sergio is called a spy and outfitted with fitting equipment, such as a pair of glasses and a pen with hidden micro-cameras inside. Sergio goes to live at the nursing home for an extended time, getting to know the residents there, and investigating whether the claims have any truth to them or not.
Elder abuse is a serious topic that affects many people and nursing homes are certainly not exempt from that. “The Mole Agent,” however, is not an expose about the horrible abuse going down in Chilean retirement homes. Throughout the film, Sergio sees suggestions of what might be abuse. Some of the bathrooms are left dirt. Some of the patients seems left along too long, or don't receive their medication at the correct time. Ultimately, it's decided that these incidents cannot be classified as “abuse.” However, the elderly at the home are forgotten. They are rarely visited by their children or grandkids. A woman mentions that she spent her whole life raising her children and is dismayed to see they have left her behind now. “The Mole Agent” is largely an examination of the isolation and loneliness that comes with age and asks us to consider how the forgotten must feel.
Despite being about several pretty heavy topics, “The Mole Agent” is not a depressing film. In fact, long stretches of it are quite funny. Sergio is a charming, sweet old man that can sometimes be described as doddering. He has trouble working the gadgets he's been given. He sends long, rambling reports back to the agency about every minute detail at the home. There's a pretty adorable subplot about one of the elderly patients developing a crush on Sergio, even fantasizing about marrying him. The nursing home throws parties and celebrations for the patients, all of which is pretty charming. There are bracing moments in the film – such as a confused old woman breaking down in tears while Sergio attempts to comfort her – but “The Mole Agent” mostly finds warmth and humor in the interactions it covers.
Knowing that the director has admitted that some of “The Mole Agent” was staged, the viewer can't help but wonder how much of the movie is set-up. The early scenes, of Sergio being recruited and outfitted with the various recording devices, are pretty clearly scripted. Despite these gadgets being at hand, most of “The Mole Agent” was clearly recorded by a professional camera team. They are even on-screen several times, the residents of the nursing home commenting on their presence. It's hard to take the idea that Sergio is investigating allegations of abuse too seriously, when he's followed by a team of cameramen everywhere he goes.
Yet, ultimately, these questions only distract so much. Good filmmaking is good filmmaking and getting hung up on how much of “The Mole Agent” is “real” or not is a fool's errant. While you can debate whether that makes it worthy of being included in the documentary category, I think most of the movie is probably unscripted. This is an entertaining and funny film, that introduces us to a lovable central protagonist. Even if it isn't a serious expose on elder abuse – a topic that certainly warrants attention and discussion – it does touch upon important ideas of aging. [7/10]
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