The Two Popes

The Two Popes

Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujin, Sidney Cole

Directed by Fernando Meirelles

Almost like a holy version of "The Odd Couple," director Fernando Meirelles tells the story of two vastly different popes - Pope Benedict, who holds firm to traditions, stoic rules, and the old order;  Pope Francis, who is more forward-thinking, doesn't elevate himself in wealth, and is open to change.  These two men couldn't be more opposite, but they're drawn together due to their foundation of ideology and belief in the common good, resulting in the behind-the-scenes look at one of Catholicism's biggest shakeups in modern history.

The film starts off with the death of Pope John Paul II, and the ritual that the Cardinals undergo in order to choose a new pope.  Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Anthony Hopkins) wants the title, while Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) doesn't, and the eventual count results in Ratzinger earning the title, becoming Pope Benedict XVI.  Bergoglio returns to his native South American home where he continues serving as Cardinal, but in a uniquely different way - he's deeply involved in the lives of the poor, and spends most of his time among them.

Years later, Bergoglio wishes to connect with Benedict to offer his resignation, while unbeknownst to him he's already been summoned to the Vatican by the Pope himself.  The two meet in the gardens of the Pope's summer home, and they go back and forth on their differing viewpoints of what the Church should be and how it should be governed, and Benedict doesn't accept Bergoglio's resignation.  Later, Bergoglio is again summoned to Rome, where Benedict informs him that he plans to retire and hopes that Bergoglio will be the new Pope due to his belief that the Church needs to change.

On paper, this looks to be an absolute snooze-fest.  No explosions, no sex, no scantly clad women, no cursing...just two elderly men slowly walking around and talking.  Yet, somehow, "The Two Popes" makes this look like the most intense thing you've ever seen, a perilous pas-de-deux between two veteran actors at the top of their game, in an epic struggle of give-and-take resulting in some of the most prolific, profound conversations you'll ever see set to screen.  True or not, that's not the issue - what you see is powerful and thought-provoking, as you witness two dueling ideologies somehow manage to unite two polar opposites and actually turn enemies into friends.

Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce truly epitomize what it means to be Pope Benedict and Pope Francis respectively (moreso Pryce, who actually resembles the real-life Pope), as Hopkins' Benedict is more hunched over, out of shape (he hilariously wears a GoPro watch that constantly tells him to "keep moving"), and firmly set in the ways of history, while Pryce's Francis is more astute, in shape, and spends time with the poor and feels that the papacy shouldn't be elevated above anyone else.  These two men share the screen, but you can clearly see them both trying to usurp one another on different occasions, bringing out the best in both.  It's almost like two basketball teams going at it, but instead of teams there's just one person on each side, as they maneuver around one another in order to score a point.

The film doesn't shy away from the elephant in the room - the nasty child abuse scandal that's plagued the Church for decades - and perfectly plays it off when the two men share their confessions with one another, resulting in the most powerful moment of the film as Francis confronts Benedict with righteous anger, and it's truly a jaw-dropping moment.  There's also Bergoglio's shady past that he expounds on with flashbacks featuring Juan Minujin as the young Bergoglio that's absolutely spellbinding and captivating, offering a darker look into the history of the Peoples' Pope.  Neither men are saints, and both readily admit their sins and past mistakes to one another and the audience as well, showing the Pope-hood as more human than divine, tearing the wall between the impossibly holy and unholy, and it's these moments that really unite the two men.

There's also some starkly humorous moments between the men, as they partake in pizza and Fanta (with Benedict devouring a slice of pizza like he hasn't eaten in years), and the two men sit down at the Pope's summer home to watch the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals between Germany (Benedict's home country) and Argentina (Francis's home country) with Francis draping the Argentinian team's flag around his neck like a pallium.  Not only is the film thought provoking, stirring, and powerful - but lighthearted, humorous, and heartfelt as well.  And not at all boring.

Featuring two thespians at the height of their respective games, "The Two Popes" serves as the most fascinating dialogue-driven films in recent memory, as you see two differing ideologies spar and come together in magical ways.

The Score: A+