THE TWO POPES – Review

Jonathan Pryce as the future Pope Francis I and Anthony Hopkins as Pope Benedict XVI are pure delight in the amusing, engaging drama/comedy TWO POPES. Director Fernando Meirelles (CITY OF GOD) and screenwriter Anthony McCarten (DARKEST HOUR) craft delightful odd couple drama/comedy about a meeting Pope Benedict and his successor Pope Francis. Rather than a dry discussion of church policy, Meirelles gives us a charming, kind of buddy comedy, in which these two very different men meet and explore their personal differences and their views on life, to ultimately find common ground.

The story takes place not long before before Pope Benedict’s announcement that he would step down as pope. There hadn’t been two living popes for hundreds of years, and never a case of a pope just choosing to retire, which made Pope Benedict’s decision a pivotal historic moment. Popes are supposed to serve for life, as Pope Benedict’s predecessor Pope John Paul II had, done despite declining health. As Benedict noted his own mental decline, he may have wanted to spare the church a repeat of that. His likely successor was Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the man who he had narrowly beat out when he was elected to the papacy.

The meeting is fictional but allows these two powerhouse actors to show off their skill as they verbally spar, maneuver and one-up each other in an intriguing, often amusing meeting of minds and contrasting personalities. We are treated to a study in contrasts played out by a pair of brilliant actors. The men could not be more different. German-born Benedict is conservative, loves the luxurious trappings and ceremony of the papacy, has very traditional tastes, and is disconnected from the modern world. The future Pope Francis is Argentinian, loves tango and soccer, is a done-to-earth man who is uncomfortable with luxury. His views on the direction of the Catholic Church are more liberal, particularly compared to Benedict’s.

Most of the film focuses on this meeting, but it also flashes back to the meeting of the cardinals that brought Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, to the papacy. It also gives a little biography of the Argentine cardinal but not the German-born Pope Benedict, which makes the future Pope Francis more the major character

Jonathan Pryce’s arrives at the Vatican full of confidence that he will be able to get his retirement documentary signed and make a quick exit. Instead, Pope Benedict is unavailable, due to pressing business, and he is told they will meet instead at the Pope’s idyllic summer palace. Clearly the Argentine is imitated, he has no choice.

Moving the action to the summer palace, with its beautiful gardens and airy palace, gives the film a visually appealing setting for this battle of wills. The two actors are top of their game, as the men engage in a kind of cat-and -mouse that takes the confident cardinal down a notch and puts the quiet, other-worldly pope in charge. Once the men finally talk, there is a connection, a bond, that forms as they explore both their differences and common humanity and faith. The back-and-forth provides an entertaining, often amusing, exchange that is a complete delight. In a wonderful scene late in the film features the two men, the current pope and the future one, watching a soccer game, cheering on their respective teams.

They offer very different broad visions for the future of the Catholic Church without getting into specific topics like married priests or changing the church’s view on divorce. There is brief mention of the child abuse scandal but like other issues, it is not discussed in depth. Mostly, it is the contrast of personalities that is the focus and whether the church should adapt to the modern world or be a bastion of unchanging values.

The beautiful setting adds to the enjoyment of the film. One of the highlights of the film is a later scene in the Sistine Chapel. Because they were not allowed to film in the actual Sistine Chapel, Meirelles built a perfect replica, but larger to better accommodate filming. The effect is stunning, and warming as it is the setting for a pivot moment between the two characters.

More a study in character with a historic and faith background, THE TWO POPES has appeal for any audience, and as a vehicle to showcase two outstanding actors at the height of their powers, it is a delight and one of the year’s best.

TWO POPES opens Friday, Dec. July 13, at Landmark’s Tivoli Theater.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars