I'm a sucker for non-evangelical religious drama, and The Two Popes is a chamber piece of intense didactic theology. Depicting the drama of Pope Benedict XVI resigning his position (the first resignation since the 15th century) and the rise of Pope Francis, the story makes ample use of two-person scenes of dialogue that plumb centuries of tradition and dogma. But the film also features surprising and fairly consistent humor that keeps the proceedings lively and accessible. After all, a staunchly conservative pope and a distinctly nontraditional Jesuit cardinal walking through a garden are bound to ruffle a few feathers when together -- especially each other's!
The central drama of this film takes place in 2012, as the church flounders amidst growing controversy. Vatican leaks is the scandal of the day, encompassing church blackmailing of gay priests and the international public outcry against clergy sexual abuse of children and cover-ups that stained the hands of even the highest orders, including Pope Benedict himself (Anthony Hopkins). Meanwhile, Cardinal Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) of Argentina is attempting to resign but being ignored by a besieged Vatican. Just as he prepares to personally resign to the Pope, Rome invites him for a meeting. When they meet, the pope distracts and redirects and blatantly ignores the cardinal's intentions, preferring instead to engage in all matters of personal history, beliefs, rites, and current events.
Of the film's numerous flashbacks, one in particular stands out: during a chance encounter in a Vatican bathroom, while the conclave decides the next pope after the death of John Paul II, Bergoglio and Ratzinger discuss ABBA in passing; not Abba, father, mind, but the Swedish pop musicians. It's this kind of unexpected, borderline irreverent spontaneity that makes Anthony McCarten's (The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, Bohemian Rhapsody) screenplay brilliant, along with his deep understanding of larger-than-life personalities and historical significance made fiercely relevant.
It helps, too, that the two lead performers have clearly come to play. Pryce takes the fore, as the film clearly is more interested in him, and by the end the picture is clearly that of a love letter to the current pope. Hopkins is delightfully droll, though I find myself wishing his character were not the "aged old man saying goodbye" and a bit more dynamic; there are psychological and, indeed, theological depths to be unearthed there, horrifying though they may be. But with kinetic performances, brisk editing, and sharp writing, the film skips right through its two-hour run time and feels far more invigorating than a movie about two old men has any right to. Plus, it's just a lot of fun.
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