THE TWO POPES (Fernando Mierelles, 2019): Argentina, Italy, USA, UK

Reviewed by Charlene Huston.  Viewed at 2019 AFI Film Festival, Los Angeles.

Two Popes. Two Paths. One visit to Rome and the course of history is altered.

Based on real world events, this movie dives deep into illuminating the power behind the Catholic Church.  Filled with details of the pomp and circumstance of every day papal life, often hidden from public view in the Vatican or in a confessional chamber, this film rocked my soul and gave me a LOT to think about.

As Sir Anthony Hopkins said in his opening remarks at the Gala Screening in the world-famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater before the movie began, “ I hope this film will bring dialogue to our divided world.”.  And I couldn’t agree more.

I thought this was going to be an imaginative re-telling of the story we know about the decision Pope Benedict XVI, formerly the Austrian Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Anthony Hopkins) made to turn over the reigns to the Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio who became Pope Francis I (Jonathan Pryce).  This is a very big deal because Popes are meant to serve the Catholic Church until their final breath, and no Pope had abdicated his position in more than 700 years. 

But, the script, masterfully penned by Anthony McCarten, takes us much deeper…filling each page with historical details and charming imaginings about the conversations these two ‘Popes’ might have had when all of this was taking place in real time, nearly a decade ago.

Director Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD) allows the words to leap off the page in often magical ways and elicits stellar performances from both Hopkins and Pryce, making a charming, interesting and political film.  The subtext tackles today’s issues of sex abuse among the clergy of the Catholic Church and the ‘wall’ on the border between the USA and Mexico. 

Long black-and-white flashbacks show Bergoglio’s early life and Juan Minujín does a very classy job of portraying the younger man.  We learn what drew him to the church and the choices he made to become the Pope we have today who walks through the streets to greet people, refuses to wear the red shoes, carries his own luggage and apparently even makes his own plane reservations.

The cinematography was mesmerizing.  Cesar Charole’s attention to detail and very effective use of all manner of camera angles and depths of field are intriguing and he is not afraid to use extreme close-ups of both Pope’s faces when they are having the most intimate conversations – a brave and bold move, allowing us as audience to bear witness to the slight twinkle of an eye or the brushing away of a fly who lands on a cheek.  We get to be the proverbial fly on the wall when we are allowed to go behind doors usually closed to get a peek at the room of tears, the private planes, the hushed secrets, the hand painted balls that mark the voting rituals of electing a new pope.

We get to hear a blend of various languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, German, Latin …loved the fact that Benedict switched to Latin when he had something disagreeable to say.

This film has given me insights that will resonate for a long time to come.  It might make you laugh out loud and shed a tear or two along the way as well, as it masterfully imagines a conversation that allows different ideologies to collide but then through mutual respect, friendship ‘breaking of bread (or in this case pizza) a ‘tango dance’ , and a profound confession, we see that it is possible to become the change we need to see in our complicated world.

GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!!!  And, consider trying this:  invite someone you disagree with about anything to go see it with you.  Afterwards, share some pizza and a coffee and talk about what you have in common, rather than what divides you.