2019 / comedy, drama, biography / 2h 5min / directed by Fernando Meirelles / country: UK | Italy / language: Latin | English | Spanish | Italian | French | Portuguese | German
An intimate story of one of the most dramatic transitions of power in the last 2,000 years. Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins). Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church. Behind Vatican walls, a struggle commences between both tradition and progress, guilt and forgiveness, as these two very different men confront their pasts in order to find common ground and forge a future for a billion followers around the world. Inspired by true events.
“For Vaticanistas accustomed to tea-reading but not so worried about historical exactitude, “The Two Popes” is a delightful imaginary look behind the thick walls of secrecy . . . It’s a joy to listen in as these two formidable churchmen joust over sharply different views of Catholicism, admit spiritual doubts, joke about the Beatles, seek absolution from each other and end up drinking beer together, just two old popes watching soccer on a couch.”
–Daniel J. Wakin, The New York Times
LUMIERE CINEMA 