
A short review
By Marivir R. Montebon
New York – It is like watching the clash of two different world views with each of the proponents both wanting to give up at the same time. One of Netflix’s latest offerings, The Two Popes is honest, conflicted, and humane.
Here we watch Pope Benedict (Sir Anthony Hopkins), who’s conservative, and Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce), then a Jesuit archbishop of Buenos Aires, months before the latter resigned as Pope.
The film, directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten, is the human face of two powerful men worn-out by their own failings in the conflicting real world. Both wanting to give up their posts, archbishops Ratzinger and Bergoglio tried to save each other’s wits while sharing pizza and watching football. It’s heartwarming to see a fraction of their powerful, constantly torn lives.
Stalwarts of acting, Hopkins and Pryce make us endlessly amused as their larger-than-life characters are being conflicted by corruption, sexual abuses, and justice that Vatican can no longer ignore.
Watch The Two Popes on Netflix, it’ll be reaping awards and igniting a lot of reflections on how Vatican makes itself relevant, that’s all I can say.
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