2019 has been a great year for powerful dramas and "The Two Popes" fall in the same category. This is a moving and thought-provoking film not only theologically or religiously but one that focuses more on the human aspects of men we usually judge as infallible.
Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Facing a huge scandal scandal and self-doubt, the Pope summons his harshest critic, Cardinal Bergoglio, to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront elements from their pasts in order to find common ground and save its ailing church.
You know a film was well-made when you question if it happened in real-life or not. Authentic and natural performances and chemistry between Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce meant that "The Two Popes" felt like it was the real deal. The natural flow and pacing of the story meant that nothing felt out of place and things could have happened like it did on film. It was mostly composed of conversations between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis (still Cardinal Bergoglio). Even with a heavy focus on dialogue, it never felt boring or slow. The way it unravels its contexts and back stories was well-integrated into the script. And while it focuses on two figureheads within the Catholic Church, the film doesn't praise or preach the religion. It even showed that these men are men - imperfect, fu of failures and regrets, and having their own biases that have drastically affected their decision-making in the past and present. If we could choose one issue with the film, it had spent more time with Pope Francis' life than Pope Benedict. It just had that bias towards one-sided than the other or it at least felt that way.
Rating: 4 and a half reels
Why you shouldn't watch it:
-Why you should watch it:
- powerful performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce
- properly brings out the humanity from these powerful men
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- there's more focus on Pope Francis than Pope Benedict making this film feel a little bit one-sided
Why you shouldn't watch it:
-Why you should watch it:
- powerful performances from Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce
- properly brings out the humanity from these powerful men
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- there's more focus on Pope Francis than Pope Benedict making this film feel a little bit one-sided
Comments
Post a Comment