*My review of The Two Popes was originally published on Film Inquiry. Click here to review the original post and check out more great reviews from this awesome site!*
Two of the most famous—and, at times, famously secretive—figures in modern world history receive a much more grounded treatment in City of God director Fernando Meirelles‘ The Two Popes, which presents a fictional conversation between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and future Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) as they negotiate the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Penned by Oscar-nominated scribe Anthony McCarten (who was feted at Film Fest 919 with the Distinguished Screenwriters Award), the film blends ostensibly serious material with a more playful, even satirical tone, staging an intense battle of philosophies as an oddball buddy comedy. Though it seems potentially ill-advised, the final product is something of a revelation: in fact, The Two Popes might be one of the biggest surprises of the year thus far.
The film begins in the aftermath of Pope John Paul II’s death in 2005, which represented a turning point in the history of the Church. The competing ideological factions—the tradition-bound conservatives and the progressive reformers—are both eager to install their own representative as the new leader of the Catholic Church, hoping to shape the future of one of the world’s most powerful organizations. On one side is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a power-hungry conservative politician with a strong desire for the papacy; on the other is Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a reluctant leader from Argentina. Despite surprising opposition from a vocal group of reformist cardinals, Ratzinger is elected Pope as Benedict XVI.
A decade later, Bergoglio is preparing to retire as a cardinal—he wants to retreat from the public eye, serving his community as the leader of a small parish. Before Bergoglio can officially submit his request, Pope Benedict summons him to the Vatican for a meeting. What transpires is something unexpected: a clash of ideas that, eventually, ends with a shocking transfer of power unparalleled in the history of the Catholic Church.
Despite the intelligence and cleverness of its premise, it’s not unreasonable to be wary of The Two Popes. After last year’s Green Book, here comes another film about a mismatched odd couple that deals with significant social issues in a lighthearted, jovial manner; is this really what we need right now? While there are some interesting arguments to be had about how The Two Popes deals with its politics—I think the film lets off its lead characters far too easy when it comes to the Church’s history of sexual abuse—it is a much more enjoyable and formally ambitious film than its recent analogues. Meirelles‘ cinéma vérité style gives the film a sense of propulsive energy, using the occasionally jarring shaky cam to lampoon the Church’s secrecy; his camera gives us a vital look behind closed doors.
With Meirelles smoothly bouncing between fact and fiction, Pryce and Hopkins‘ prickly, heartfelt on-screen interactions elevate the material even further, bringing these enormous figures to life, flaws and all. The film certainly has a few major missteps: Meirelles and McCarten spend far too much time chronicling Bergoglio’s controversial dealings with the Argentinian military dictatorship in a flashback, to such a drastic extent that it grinds the whole film to a halt. But by charting a path from mutual opposition to forgiveness and a brighter future for the faith, The Two Popes earns its humorous and good-natured vibes. This is a crowd-pleaser I can really get behind.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.8/10)
Image courtesy of Netflix
Two of the most famous—and, at times, famously secretive—figures in modern world history receive a much more grounded treatment in City of God director Fernando Meirelles‘ The Two Popes, which presents a fictional conversation between Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) and future Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) as they negotiate the future of the Roman Catholic Church. Penned by Oscar-nominated scribe Anthony McCarten (who was feted at Film Fest 919 with the Distinguished Screenwriters Award), the film blends ostensibly serious material with a more playful, even satirical tone, staging an intense battle of philosophies as an oddball buddy comedy. Though it seems potentially ill-advised, the final product is something of a revelation: in fact, The Two Popes might be one of the biggest surprises of the year thus far.
The film begins in the aftermath of Pope John Paul II’s death in 2005, which represented a turning point in the history of the Church. The competing ideological factions—the tradition-bound conservatives and the progressive reformers—are both eager to install their own representative as the new leader of the Catholic Church, hoping to shape the future of one of the world’s most powerful organizations. On one side is Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, a power-hungry conservative politician with a strong desire for the papacy; on the other is Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, a reluctant leader from Argentina. Despite surprising opposition from a vocal group of reformist cardinals, Ratzinger is elected Pope as Benedict XVI.
A decade later, Bergoglio is preparing to retire as a cardinal—he wants to retreat from the public eye, serving his community as the leader of a small parish. Before Bergoglio can officially submit his request, Pope Benedict summons him to the Vatican for a meeting. What transpires is something unexpected: a clash of ideas that, eventually, ends with a shocking transfer of power unparalleled in the history of the Catholic Church.
Despite the intelligence and cleverness of its premise, it’s not unreasonable to be wary of The Two Popes. After last year’s Green Book, here comes another film about a mismatched odd couple that deals with significant social issues in a lighthearted, jovial manner; is this really what we need right now? While there are some interesting arguments to be had about how The Two Popes deals with its politics—I think the film lets off its lead characters far too easy when it comes to the Church’s history of sexual abuse—it is a much more enjoyable and formally ambitious film than its recent analogues. Meirelles‘ cinéma vérité style gives the film a sense of propulsive energy, using the occasionally jarring shaky cam to lampoon the Church’s secrecy; his camera gives us a vital look behind closed doors.
With Meirelles smoothly bouncing between fact and fiction, Pryce and Hopkins‘ prickly, heartfelt on-screen interactions elevate the material even further, bringing these enormous figures to life, flaws and all. The film certainly has a few major missteps: Meirelles and McCarten spend far too much time chronicling Bergoglio’s controversial dealings with the Argentinian military dictatorship in a flashback, to such a drastic extent that it grinds the whole film to a halt. But by charting a path from mutual opposition to forgiveness and a brighter future for the faith, The Two Popes earns its humorous and good-natured vibes. This is a crowd-pleaser I can really get behind.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.8/10)
Image courtesy of Netflix
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