By: Lana K. Wilson-Combs
Netflix?s new movie
?The Two Popes? might sound like a real yawner, but it?s not. This is one movie you don?t want to sleep on.
Directed by Fernando Meirelles (?City of God? and TV?s "City of Men"), ?The Two Popes? is a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins, TV?s ?Westworld?) and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio/Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce, ?The Man Who Killed Don Quixote?). The movie focuses on when Benedict chose Bergoglio to succeed him after he relinquished the throne in 2013.
Both men are opposite in their staunch religious beliefs. They are tested through various circumstances and forge an unlikely and heartwarming friendship.
From the start you see that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio/Pope Francis (Pryce) isn?t your average pope. He?s a fan of ABBA, The Beatles, loves to dance and is an avid soccer fan. Of course, this is shocking to the conservative traditionalist Pope Benedict (Hopkins) who is at a crossroads when the Catholic Church is confronted with sex abuse scandals and the push for gay rights. Both men must somehow find common ground for the Catholic Church to move forward.
Screenwriter Anthony McCarten (?Bohemian Rhapsody,? ?Darkest Hour?) adds warmth, compassion and humor to this dramatic story which also details Pope Francis? darkest moment when accusations arose from his fellow clergymen that he didn?t react and protect the Argentinian people during a military junta.
At times ?The Two Popes? plays like a clever buddy dramedy. It?s enlightening, informative funny and inspiring.
Hopkins and Pryce?s performances are simply divine and make ?The Two Popes? one of the best films of the year.
?The Two Popes? arrived in select theaters in November and will stream via
Netflix on Dec. 20.
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Check Out This Trailer For
"THE TWO POPES"
Lana K. Wilson-Combs is a member of the Broadcast Film Critics? Association (BFCA), The Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC), The Alliance Of Women Film Journalists (AWFJ) and a Nominating Committee Voting Member for the NAACP Image Awards.