The Two Popes

It's the end of the year and the end of a decade. It's also the end of an era as I trade one computer for another. The first film I'll review with this computer is The Two Popes, a film that's also about changing times.

In 2005, Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) is called upon to help elect a new Pope after the death of John Paul II. The Vatican ultimately elects Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Anthony Hopkins) as Pope Benedict XVI, but Bergoglio comes in second. Bergoglio returns to his congregation. But then, in 2012, Bergoglio decides to resign and heads to the Vatican just as Pope Benedict summons him there.

They have a lot to talk about. Among the biggest points is Pope Benedict's own plan to resign the papacy. He wants Bergoglio to take over. But Bergoglio is still haunted by his "compromising" with the Argentinian Junta. They'll have to find a way to let themselves, and the Church, move forward. Of course, since Bergoglio is now Pope Francis, we know that they did find common ground.

Anthony McCarten based the screenplay on his stage play, The Pope. Sure, it being a dialogue-heavy two-man piece kind of gives away its theatrical origins. Stylistically, though, it's not stage-bound. We have director Fernando Meirelles and his cinematographer, Cesar Charlone, to thank. On one side, we see Bergoglio and Benedict's conversations as they discuss topics like God, The Church and Tradition v Change. On the other, we get flashbacks to Bergoglio's past. These flashbacks intrigue the audience the more they gradually tell.

Whether by circumstance or a good makeup artist, Pryce and Hopkins are deadringers for their real life characters. On-screen, they make a good duo. Hopkins as Benedict sticks to tradition to a fault; but he's the kind of man one can respectfully disagree with. Pryce as Bergoglio is a warm man with a dark past. They give each other much to talk and think about for the film's 125 minutes. We get to see them bond not merely as Their Holinesses, but as people. They hold the audience's attention with their words. The end credits see them bond over the World Cup in a delightful scene.

The Two Popes is an intriguing story. It may be an admitted imagined story, but it still gives us a lot to think about. Its two stars never bore us. The cinematography is outstanding. Its sparse soundtrack includes a surprising choice or two. It's a Netflix movie, so see it there if you've missed it during its miniscule theatrical run.