This
isn’t a movie I prioritized seeing before the Oscars, but I wound up watching
it when another movie fell through on a day when I had time to catch something
(anything that’s available on streaming is going to be an appealing prospect
just for the ease of seeing it.) Definitely glad I got around to it, because
it’s quite a gem of a film.
In
2012, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (not yet Pope Francis) is thinking of retiring
from his position as archbishop of Buenos Aires. However, when Pope Benedict
won’t respond to his letters requesting permission to do so, he buys a plane
ticket to the Vatican to plead his case in person. The two men, who represent
very different pillars of the Catholic Church, discuss faith, duty, their own
pasts, and the future of the Church.
I’m
not Catholic and have only a fairly surface knowledge of any given Pope. I know
that Pope Francis is considered by many to be a figure for reform and that
Francis and Benedict’s recent dueling opinions on celibacy for priests was a
major deal, especially because a living former Pope contradicting a current
Pope’s words is not a thing that
happens. But there was a lot to this story that I didn’t know. Well, to be
fair, I guess I don’t know how much of this is
precisely true – I presume all the private conversations between Benedict and
Jorge are made up, but I don’t know what else might be. Either way, this story
is a lot more dramatic and interesting than I expected it to be.
As
Jorge and Benedict, Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopins are both fantastically
good, nominated for Leading Actor and Supporting Actor respectively. I
especially love Pryce’s performance as Jorge. The whole portrayal is really
lovely (and actually reminds me a bit of A
Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, hehe.) Jorge exudes warmth wherever he
goes, and when he challenges Benedict, it’s not to be rebellious or obstinate
as Benedict supposes; rather, it’s out of genuine fear for the direction in
which the Church is going and what Jorge feels is their duty to the people.
Meanwhile, Hopkins’s Benedict is somehow both spartan and pampered. He is
severe and solitary, but he also summers at a lavish palace, where his
gardeners grow the organic produce that’s flown to the Vatican for his meals
when he’s there. He views Jorge as a troublemaking upstart and, at almost the
same instant, is jealous of what he views as Jorge’s easy relationship with God
and unassuming confidence in his beliefs. There’s a lot of terrific stuff here
for two great actors to chew on, and they do a great job with it.
In
addition to the acting nods for Pryce and Hopkins, the film is also up for
Adapted Screenplay, adapted from screenwriter Alexander McCarten’s own play on
the subject. I hadn’t previously known it was adapted from a play, but it makes
complete sense. It’s totally structured like a play, with the long unbroken
scenes of two heavyweight actors just sitting in a room talking to each other.
Common belief says you can’t get away with that in a movie, but you can when
it’s done right.
Warnings
Violence,
drinking, and thematic elements (including discussion of child sexual abuse.)
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