The Two Popes

When Pope Francis passed away in April, plenty of people flocked to watch the latest Edward Berger feature, Conclave. Which is unfortunate given the circumstances, but understandable given how people were naturally curious to learn about how the next pope would be elected.

But if you wanted to learn more about Pope Francis and what it may have been like for him when he was first elected Pope, then I'm here to tell you about a forgotten about Netflix film that released just a couple of years ago. One that I personally enjoy better than Conclave; The Two Popes.

Set predominantly in Vatican City, the movie follows Pope Benedict XVI as he deals with the aftermath of the Vatican leak scandal, considers abdicating the papacy, and is eventually succeeded by Pope Francis. And if you didn't already know, Benedict and Francis are two completely different kinds of people. So the film spends a lot of comparing and contrasting their vastly different personalities.

At its core, this movie is just about two guys who have very different ideological views on life. Meaning that you don't need to be a religious person in order to enjoy this movie. Because, if anything, this film allows us to see these two men as individuals.

They may be popes - heads of the largest religion in the world - but they are still very much human. And I thought it was fascinating to watch these two people have discussions on what they considered to be important issues. Issues that are still pretty relevant to this day.

Benedict and Francis spend the majority of the film talking about, arguing over, and debating their own perspectives. It's great! I had a blast watching the High Sparrow argue with an elderly Hannibal Lecter.

But in all seriousness, these two actors are phenomenal. There's a reason why both Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce were nominated for Academy Awards. Even though they're both coleads, the film basically belongs to Pryce as Jorge Burgolio, the man who eventually becomes Pope Francis.

So, if you didn't already know, the transition between Pope Benedict and Pope Francis was rather unprecedented, since the job of a pope is supposed to be for life; as in, until death. But Benedict was still around when Francis was declared Pope, which was a pretty uncommon circumstance. One that led to a lot of friction within the Cathlolic Church, and between these two men. So the film chronicles the events leading up to Benedict's retirement - including how his successor was chosen - and it is all incredibly fascinating.

Now, I don't know how accurate this movie actually is, and quite frankly, I don't care. I'm not here for the history lesson. I'm here to watch two guys with two very different worldviews and sets of values argue with one another. And that's exactly what I got.

I thought Anthony Hopkins may have been losing his mind after appearing in some bafflingly bad films, but this movie proved that he's clearly still got it. I loved seeing him as this conservative old man who wants to do right by his followers, but he's lost his way, and he's not exactly sure how to do that anymore.

And Jonathan Pryce offers the perfect juxtaposition to that character, playing a slightly younger old man who has more of a liberal point of view based on his past experiences, some of which he's not very proud of.

So I thought this was a very poignant movie that helps connect the audience with these large figures. And even though it may seem as if the narrative picks a side on whose viewpoint should be seen as "correct," I was engaged by both of their perspectives either way. Especially since these two guys would very publicly argue up until their respective deaths.

But, man, it sure did seem like movie magic to see the Pope and the Pope watch the World Cup together. That's just some real fun stuff.

I wonder if they'll ever make a movie about Pope Leo. That would be interesting! Especially considering that he's a Chicago native like myself. But I digress.

Even after all these years, The Two Popes would still get recommendation from me.