The Two Popes
PG-13 Biography, Comedy, Drama 2h 5m (20 December 2019)
This is a very nice movie, and it is based on two very real people, talking about very real issues, with very real events happening as the backdrop – but it IS fiction. Most of the movie – I’d say about 90% of it – unfolds as conversations between then Pope Benedict XVI and the about to be elected Pope Francis. Kaso, these conversations never really happened. Pagsasadula lang ito, in other words. Still, these imagined conversations were a good way of bringing the two opposing ideologies of the two popes face-to-face, as it were. Sa tunay na buhay, yung mga sinasabi nung mga karakter sa pelikula, makikita mo lang sa mga speech at panunulat nila: si Benedict yung conserbatibong Papa na talagang pinaninindigan ang mga doktrina ng simbahan katulad ng pagbabawal sa pagaasawa ng mga pari, at pagbabawal sa pagbigay ng communion sa mga nag-divorce. Sa kabilang banda naman, si Francis na pinaniniwalaang reformer at mas bukas sa mga makabagong pagiisip.
Beyond the clash of philosophies, in-emphasize din ng pelikula na ito ang mga – sabihin na nating madilim o kwestionable nakaraan ng dalawa. Si Francis ay pinaniniwalaang nagwalang kibo nung panahon ng diktadurya sa kanyang bayan ng Argentina. Sa pelikula, parang inamin nya na nagkamali sya dahil nakipag compromiso sya sa militar kaya’t na-torture ang mga kapwa nya pari; sa tunay na buhay, dine-deny nya ito. Benedict, on the other hand, practically confesses that he did nothing to investigate child abuse in the Church. It can, of course, be argued that he didn’t do enough in real life.
Gayon pa man, maganda ang pelikulang ito bilang crash-course o summary sa mga crisis na kasulukuyang pinagdadaanan ng simbahang katolika. If for no other reason, this is why you should make the effort to see this movie.
Rating
Story: 3/5 – A mostly fictional presentation of true events, real ideological differences within the RC Quality: 5/5 – Slick and well-produced Bingeability: n/a – Recommend watching this movie completely through in one sitting