The Two Popes

Composite Score: 82.7

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Anthony Hopkins, Juan Minujín, Luis Gnecco, Cristina Banegas, Maria Ucedo, Germán de Silva, and Lisandro Fiks

Director: Fernando Meirelles

Writer: Anthony McCarten

Genres: Biography, Comedy, Drama

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for thematic content and some disturbing violent images

Box Office: $243,711 worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                The Two Popes is a film dramatizing the events surrounding Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation in 2012 and the election of Pope Francis. It centers around the relationship between the two men (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio) and the ways that they work out their differences in church practice. Central to the film are the performances of Anthony Hopkins as Ratzinger and Jonathan Pryce as Bergoglio whose interactions form the core of the film’s narrative and thematic substance. It is a film that longs for reconciliation between disparate factions set against the backdrop of the religious contentions of the last two decades.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                Much of what makes The Two Popes great is also what alienates it from a decent portion of audiences. The debates of doctrine and dogma and the sins and forgiveness thereof that the film’s central characters partake in inherently estrange certain portions of the viewing audience. People with limited understanding of the drama surrounding Benedict’s resignation or of the different camps within the Catholic Church (and probably most other churches) in the past two decades will find a lot of what the characters discuss going over their heads. For me, it’s great, but I recognize that not everyone loves getting into church drama and the debate between conservative and progressive Christianity as much as I do. Though the story of reconciliation between the two men and their mutual forgiveness of sins is touching, I’m not sure that it is enough to make the whole film worth watching for most audiences.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                First off, both Pryce and Hopkins deliver wonderful performances as the two holy men, both receiving Oscar nominations for lead and supporting actor respectively. Hopkins’s Ratzinger/Benedict is every bit as bookish, proper, and withdrawn as the script needs him to be while still delivering emotional moments as he opens up to his fellow clergyman. Similarly, Pryce’s Bergoglio/Francis comes across as down-to-earth, emotive, and spiritual on his way from tendering a resignation to becoming pope. His resistance to the appointment comes across as genuine, and his remorse at the sins of his past resonates as truly human. Both men bring an emotional depth to these two pillars of the modern church in a way that allows them to resonate deeply with all audiences, not just Catholics, elevating the film to a place that allows it to comment on friendship, reconciliation, and division at a universal level.

                Thanks to the more universal connection that the actors create, the film’s story holds much more weight, dramatized and fictionalized though it may be. By centering the film on a division that develops into a friendship, the story invites its audience to reflect on the people that we have disagreed with and perhaps seek some common ground and/or understanding. The two clergy at the film’s center represent two implicitly conflicting sides of Catholic Christianity, but they are able to discover the human elements and desires that make them much more similar than different. Both men have passions on display that are entirely unrelated to their religious leanings, allowing both to see the whole person of their “opponent” and encouraging those watching to seek to recognize not just the stances of those with whom we disagree but also their desires and livelihoods before fully discounting them as lost causes. Is its optimism misplaced considering the three intervening years since its release? Maybe, but I don’t think that fully discredits the film’s goals of showcasing the similarities between all people. In reality, I think much of the frustration at such optimism exists because there has been far greater openness from one side than the other in terms of trying to listen and that has bred resentment. It doesn’t mean the premise is incorrect, just that it requires effort from both sides in order to be achieved.

                As a film about the interconnectedness of humanity based around a niche story of two different approaches to religious leadership portrayed by two great actors, The Two Popes earns its place as a Great Film. The film’s limited scope of interest in terms of its subject matter limits who will probably take the most enjoyment from it, but that doesn't fully discount the film’s potential for impact, both interpersonally and emotionally. This film is currently available to stream on Netflix for those interested. Check it out when you have the chance.