If you’re one of those who loved Ana de Armas in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, the next year is going to be pretty good because she’s everywhere now. While a huge role in No Time to Die awaits, de Armas will also be at Sundance for the upcoming biopic Sergio, a film Netflix hopes we’ll be talking about well into awards season.
Sergio is based on the life of UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, who finds his life thrown into upheaval during the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The role of Sergio is played by Narcos star Wagner Moura, with de Armas as the woman he hopes to build a future with, until duty calls one final time.
Behind the camera is Greg Barker, making his narrative directorial debut after documentary films including his acclaimed Obama doc The Final Year. His films have frequently been political, which should make this an easy transition.
SYNOPSIS: Charismatic and complex, Sergio Vieira de Mello (Wagner Moura) has spent the majority of his storied career as a top UN diplomat working in the world’s most unstable regions, deftly navigating deals with presidents, revolutionaries, and war criminals for the sake of protecting the lives of ordinary people. But just as he readies himself for a simpler life with the woman he loves (Ana de Armas), Sergio takes one last assignment — in Baghdad, newly plunged into chaos following the US invasion. The assignment is meant to be brief, until a bomb blast causes the walls of the UN headquarters to come literally crashing down upon him, setting into motion a gripping life-or-death struggle. Inspired by a true story, SERGIO is a sweeping drama focused on a man pushed to his physical and emotional limits as he’s forced to confront his own divisive choices about ambition, family, and his capacity to love.
Netflix debuts Sergio on April 17th, but has its world premiere this month at Sundance. This is one of the movies on my shortlist so hopefully, I’ll have a review for you soon.
