“There were three popes in 1978,” Benedict replies. The years skip by until 2012, and a summons from Benedict to Bergoglio, who has tendered his resignation as archbishop of Buenos Aires. The little windows into Benedict’s inner life are almost mocking, especially as compared with Francis’ open-hearted humanity. This may make him more appealing than Benedict, but it also makes him less intriguing. He is something of a stiff, who lives in a pontifical bubble and doesn’t know who the Beatles are. Copyright © 2020 America Press Inc. | All Rights Reserved. “Is there a trick to it?” It’s enough to break your heart. He chats amiably with gardeners and chauffeurs, dances the tango and is a passionate soccer fan. I was in consolation when I saw the two Popes dancing. In “The Two Popes” (Netflix), their glossy but highly speculative account of supposedly real events, screenwriter Anthony McCarten and director Fernando Meirelles ill-advisedly try to extol Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) by trashing retired Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins). He wears sensible black lace-up shoes instead of velvet slippers. (CNS photo/Peter Mountain, courtesy NETFLIX). It’s all about control. Is this “old news”? The movie does not really know how to end, it must be said. “The most important qualification for a leader,” says Cardinal Peter Turkson (Sidney Cole), during the 2005 conclave that opens the film, “is not wanting to be leader.” The cardinal adds, somewhat gratuitously given his audience, “Plato.” What he says without saying it is “Bergoglio.”. If you login and register your print subscription number with your account, you’ll have unlimited access to the website. Before you can comment, you need to update your profile to include your first and last name, as required in our, Did the pope “endorse” civil unions? There is a snippet of the jazz musician Thelonious Monk playing on the holy TV set, which Benedict switches to his favorite show, about a dog detective. Pryce is an amiable, sympathetic presence, with legible facial expressions and an impressive ability to make himself understood in four of the five languages spoken onscreen. What Bergoglio sees as necessary change, Benedict views as ruinous compromise. The future Francis says, for instance, that there was no mention of angels in the church until the fifth century. this helps us promote a safe and accountable online community, and allows us to update you when other commenters reply to your posts. Benedict, receiving his visitor at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, has other plans, though they aren’t clear at first. This article also appeared in print, under the headline “Two pope —and two actors — dueling and dancing,” in the December 23, 2019, issue. The Catholic News Service classification is A-III -- adults. “The Two Popes” does not dwell on the 2005 election, but the event is necessary to establish both the political climate and the characters involved. Since you’re a frequent reader of our website, we want to be able to share even more great, As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important, ‘The Irishman’ Review: An epic look at death, sin and organized crime from Martin Scorsese, ‘Marriage Story’ review: A great movie you may never want to see again, Pope Francis calls Trump’s family separation border policy ‘cruelty of the highest form’, Explainer: What Pope Francis actually said about civil unions—and why it matters, Pope Francis declares support for same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope, Supreme Court justices shouldn’t read the Constitution the same way Catholics read the Bible. Or so Bergoglio thinks. Here’s my response. Fine performances by the leads and high production values do not compensate adequately for a fast and loose version of recent — or ancient — church history. That monstrous hypocrite may have successfully duped St. John Paul, but Cardinal Ratzinger was a leading force in the revelation of his wrongdoing and, as pope, ordered him to relinquish all ministry and lead a life of penitence and prayer. You can either click on the link in your confirmation email or simply re-enter your email address below to confirm it. Its mission is to report fully, fairly and freely on the involvement of the church in the world today. Bergoglio is impatient with Benedict’s hard line on social and cultural issues, arguing that the church should use its moral influence to address issues like climate change and economic inequality. Catholic News Service is a leading agency for religious news. He mutters and whispers, sighs and fidgets, and turns Benedict from a presumed villain into an almost tragic figure, a brilliant theoretical mind tethered to a complex and troubled soul. But the conversation is interrupted by flashbacks that chronicle Bergoglio’s early life, as a young scientist called to the priesthood and as head of the Jesuit order in Argentina during the military dictatorship of the 1970s. “It doesn’t have to be funny.”. My own view on the matter is: I’m Jewish, and also temperamentally more inclined to ponder secular details than sacred mysteries. Why am I being asked to create an account? Be that as it may, when it comes to the two pontificates, their bias is more than apparent. What is clear is that the two men, who may be brothers in Christ, are not friends. While Meirelles and his cinematographer, César Charlone, were able to use some locations in and around Rome, including the summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, they had to substitute for Vatican locations and even recreated some—notably their Sistine Chapel, fabricated at the famed Cinecitta Studios. Your source for jobs, books, retreats, and much more. He wants Benedict’s permission to quit his post and become a “simple parish priest” once again, and the pope isn’t inclined to give it: The pope has something quite different in mind, which is part of the brilliant evolution of Benedict as a character. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 — parents strongly cautioned. As a frequent reader of our website, you know how important America’s voice is in the conversation about the church and the world. Movie Review: 'The Two Popes' | Archdiocese of Baltimore Anthony Hopkins portrays retired Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce portrays Pope Francis in a scene from the movie "The Two Popes." Was it harmless fun or sacrilege? Logging in will also give you access to commenting features on our website. Benedict is a voice of authority and tradition. The first, though intriguing, is more puzzling than illuminating. Informed Catholic moviegoers will wince at a series of distortions, some of which are downright weird. Review: ‘The Two Popes’ is a tour-de-force that takes the Catholic Church seriously Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins deliver astounding performances in ‘The Two Popes… It feels almost as if the filmmakers didn’t trust Pryce to tell the story, and that has the effect of flattening his performance. ‘The Two Popes’ is a tour-de force of acting, of actors interacting, of actors dueling and dancing. Among the outliers in the balloting is Bergoglio, who to his own embarrassment gets 10 votes. When you register, you’ll get unlimited access to our website and a free subscription to our email newsletter for daily updates with a smart, Catholic take on faith and culture from, Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins deliver astounding performances in ‘The Two Popes’ (photo: Netflix), We’re sorry registration isn't working smoothly for you. The second feels a bit like a Wikipedia page, albeit one with first-rate cinematography. If “The Two Popes” had consisted entirely of two old men talking, it might have been a masterpiece. But in addition to its sly humor, Vatican locations and visually lush production design (inspired by Michelangelo, among others), the film addresses, however fleetingly, the weightiest questions confronting the church—not just about financial crimes and sexual abuse but dogma, ritual and the Christian mission. But Benedict’s intellect is fierce and his self-awareness not entirely absent, as evidenced in the scene in which he tells his visitor about his plan to abdicate. Anthony Hopkins portrays retired Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce portrays Pope Francis in a scene from the movie "The Two Popes." But as a character study it is an exhilaratingly intellectual, deftly directed drama that in the end suggests very strongly not just that desire is destiny, but that temperament dictates theology. We know what we’re in for early on as, in the wake of the death of St. John Paul II, then-Cardinal Ratzinger swans around the conclave practically begging his peers to elect him. Bergoglio likes to proclaim his own simplicity. Check out some of the. They even go so far as to give brief screen time to two people who label the pontiff emeritus a Nazi. Both Pryce and Hopkins deliver astounding performances, and their presentation of their complex, multifaceted characters is enhanced by Anthony McCarten’s nuanced script (adapted from his stage play) and the director Meirelles’s appreciation for how much his two main characters’ body language, facial reactions and even clothing reveal their very divergent personalities.

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