The Two Popes (2019)    Netflix/Drama    RT: 125 minutes    Rated PG-13 (thematic content, some disturbing violent images)    Director: Fernando Meirelles    Screenplay: Anthony McCarten    Music: Bryce Dessner    Cinematography: Cesar Charlone    Release date: November 27, 2019 (US, limited)/December 20, 2019 (Netflix)    Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce, Juan Minujin, Luis Gnecco, Cristina Banegas, Maria Ucedo, Renato Scarpa, Sidney Cole, Achille Brugnini, Federico Torre, German de Silva, Lisandro Fiks.    Box Office: N/A      Spoken partially in Spanish and Latin w/English subtitles

Rating: *** ½

 If you share my warped sense of humor, you probably imagined The Two Popes as a “Road to” meets My Fellow Americans comedy about a pair of ideologically different popes on a road trip filled with wacky misadventures and musical numbers. Perhaps a better title would be The Road to Vatican City. LOL! Isn’t it fun to come up weird ideas like this?

 All kidding aside, The Two Popes is mostly serious business with some occasional levity thrown in for good measure. Directed by Fernando Meirelles (City of God), it stars Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs) and Jonathan Pryce (Brazil) as Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (the future Pope Francis) respectively. The bulk of the film takes place in 2012 when Bergoglio is summoned to the Vatican by Benedict. He thinks it’s to discuss his desire to resign. Well, it is and it isn’t. Benedict keeps dodging the issue and as we soon find out, the real reason for the cardinal being there is to discuss Benedict giving up the Papacy. It would make him the second Pope in the history of the Catholic Church to resign, the first being Gregory XII in 1415.

 Benedict and Bergoglio couldn’t be more ideologically different. German-born Benedict is a conservative who’s all about tradition and traditional values. Not all Catholics were happy about his succeeding Pope John Paul II. One irate fellow calls him “a Nazi”. He wasn’t willing to affect much-needed changes in the Catholic Church. He also covered up sexual abuse of children by priests and other clergy members. On the other hand, Bergoglio is a progressive from Argentina who believes changes must be made if they’re to keep young people from leaving the Church. Although Benedict agrees with nothing Bergoglio says or thinks, the two develop a real friendship over the few days they spend together.

 The most incredible thing about The Two Popes is how it humanizes the two main characters. Generally speaking, we don’t know a lot about the Pope outside his public image as “His Holiness”. We see him from a distance, geographically and personally. In essence, The Two Popes shows us the men behind the robe. Through black and white flashbacks, we learn how Bergoglio came to the priesthood. We’re also shown how he fell from favor after he supposedly collaborated with Argentina’s military dictatorship in the 70s and 80s. He expresses remorse that he was unable to save friends from being executed. We don’t learn much about Benedict which is one of the film’s few failings. I’d like to know why he was called a Nazi. On the other hand, maybe that’s precisely the point. We’re not supposed to know much about him. I’m think about the dinner scene where we Bergoglio sitting at a large table while Benedict eats alone in a small room. We see him through a doorway. The film’s other failing is that it doesn’t explore the sexual abuse scandal that rocked the Church during Benedict’s tenure. It’s touched upon, but that’s it. You’d think the handling of it would be a major point of contention between the two holy men.

Both lead actors turn in tremendous performances but that’s hardly news when you’re talking about actors of Hopkins’ and Pryce’s caliber. Their characters’ conversations are positively riveting. You see, a movie as talky as The Two Popes could easily be a dry, somber affair, but it’s not thanks to two lively performances. Yes, they’re holy men but they’re also human. They like to have fun. Benedict likes this silly Austrian show (Kommissar Rex) about a police dog. Bergoglio likes to hum ABBA songs and dance the Tango. He also enjoys football and feels that a match between his country and Benedict’s would really be something. In one scene, the two share a meal of pizza and Fanta. Hey, Popes are just like us! How about that?

 In any event, The Two Popes is a great film. It’s absolutely compelling. It’s also educational. In the opening scenes, we get to see how a new Pope is elected. It’s quite a process. As a non-Catholic, I didn’t know this. I never expected The Two Popes to be this interesting. It’s definitely one to check out on Netflix.