Behind the Vatican walls, Pope Benedict and the future Pope Francis must find common ground to forge a new path for the Catholic Church.
If you heard the names Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, there is a good chance that it would not mean anything to you. If I was instead to say Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis, then there is a much higher chance of the names meaning something. Pope Benedict XVI, of course, being one of the few Popes to resign, with Pope Francis taking his place. This is that story.
The Two Popes is directed by Fernando Meirelles and is based on The Pope, a novel written by Anthony McCarten. Starring Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce, the calibre of the acting performances are absolutely stellar. This is no action-packed piece, this is a story of two men--up for what is arguably the most powerful religious position in the world--and the differences between how they believe the Catholic Church should be run. This makes The Two Popes very dialogue-driven, with a lot of static scenes of the two men discussing policies and beliefs.
Pryce and Hopkins were brilliant choices for the casting of Benedict and Francis, both having very similar facial appearances to the people they are portraying but also having the regality and ostentatious nature to pull off the personalities. A battle of wits and will, of two men from vastly different backgrounds at odds with each other about priorities of the Church. Rarely is a voice raised, and yet the passive-aggressive nature, adds both humour and tension to the proceedings.
Meirelles filmography includes involvement with over a dozen documentaries, and it shows here through the direction of the cinematography. Nothing altogether flashy, with no interesting perspectives or camera techniques, the style is very clean with simple pans and static shots, mixed in with some handheld camera footage thrown in. It creates an almost amateur documentary vibe to the feature, which is an intriguing choice (and allows the focus to remain on the dialogue), but ultimately does nothing for the pacing of the film.
It takes a while to warm up to the story, but the humour does a good job to engage the audience, with a surprising amount of pop culture references. Unfortunately, the pacing of the film peters out in the third act, and the audience are left wondering...is that it? It doesn't so much end with a bang, as it just ends. Minimal satisfaction in what barely counts as a pay-off.
This is a slow-paced film, that is character-driven and attempts to convey both sides without bias. That means it doesn't pull its punches. While it does not go deep into any of the scandals, they are brought up regardless as a means of developing the views of Francis and Benedict. A story of religion, power, pride, and ego, The Two Popes represents the overall political power struggle going on in the world right now; tradition vs progression; compromise vs change.
Aside from the verbal battles between the two leads, it is interesting to get a look behind the curtain, to see the process behind how things happen; especially around voting and naming a new pope. At 126 minutes, the pacing does mean the film feels longer than it is. Yet there is something invariably charming about it. Watching Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs the High Sparrow from Game of Thrones is good fun, and the character development is very strong on Jonathan Pryce's side of things. There is no doubt that he is the main protagonist here, with minimal development of Anthony Hopkins' Pop Benedict XVI, but these two acting legends still manage to keep things interesting.