The Old Popes.
125 Mins. Starring: Anthony Hopkins & Jonathan Pryce. Director: Fernando Meirelles.
Crucified by Ricky Gervais in last weeks now infamous, last Golden Globe speech that took a flamethrower to Hollywood, 'The Two Popes' was put in the same genre category as 'Leaving Neverland' and 'Surviving R. Kelly' by 'The Office' and 'After Life' star. As star Jonathan Pryce's crowd reaction was akin to his James Bond villain realizing Pierce Brosnan's 007 just spent the evening with 'Desperate Housewives', Teri Hatcher's character. But in actuality aside from that spotlight 'Popes' exists as one of streaming service Netflix's big-three, big picture run for the Academy of Bafta's and Oscars alongside Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver's 'Marriage Story' and the Scorsese/De Niro/Pacino/Pesci gangster swansong of 'The Irishman'. Being so good they are showing these three in theatres too as the mobile phone movie company looks to triple down like a triple frontier on last year's success of Best Foreign Film, the black and white beauty of 'Roma'. All on the white smoke eve of John Malkovich's 'New Pope' joining Jude Law's 'Young Pope' for the HBO second season. But toe-to-toe, padre-to-padre these old Popes (or "not so young" Popes to be politically correct) reign as acting God's. These days on Netflix however you have to be careful what you will continue watching as you swipe right like a Tinder profile through the choices. You could come across the original content of a Ryan Reynolds movie and think you're in for one of his trademark, dry laughs, but 6 minutes and what seems like 6 years of action later and you realize you've just been caught in the 'Transformers' like clusterf### of another 'Bad Boys' Michael Bayhem movie. As '6 Underground' will make you wish you were six feet under like another HBO show. But alas don't worry these two Popes aren't machine gun totting padres with a beef to score settle against the Vatican by sunset (although that does sound pretty f###### cool). Instead the warfare here is psychological and it's going to test every fibre of your faith. No matter what you believe in.
Controversy shrouds this movies story like the Catholic Church, but 'City Of God' co-director Fernando Meirelles like a maestro takes all that on like an all star journalistic 'Spotlight' ensemble. Instead focusing on two of the most central figures of the Catholic Church as they are smoke chosen by a fool proof, sacred voting system that involves engraved spheres like something out of 'Minority Report'...which I only wish we had here for those damn Tories in Number 10. As the pair vy for the elected throne in a biographical adaptation of Anthony McCarten's (who serves as screenwriter here) 2017 play 'The Pope'. Anthony Hopkins' Pope Benedict XVI and Jonathan Pryce's Pope Francis are much more than a battle of wills however as they plumb the dark depths of their psyche and past, surrounded by the rich regalia of amazing architecture of the coliseum like cathedral to offset the two tones and contrasting Popes perfectly and outstandingly. As the cinematography of the colourful Vatican City alive in street art could even take the continuous one shot of Sam Mendes magnificent 5 star, '1917' this award season. From piano playing improvised duets, to Eden like garden conversations in bloom as they literally walk through a 'Shining' symbolic hedge maze, these two become fast, fond friends, growing like helicopter gifted plants, that challenge as much as they console each other. Two stepping in a slow dance of this slow burn 'Final Portrait' conversational piece, trading war stories and The Beatles 'Abbey Road' albums as these pure Popes perfect their cool even more than say, hey Jude's law and ordained disorder. And closing credits watching them watch a World Cup football match against their home Germany vs Argentina will have you singing, "OLE, OLE, OLE!"
Scoring like back of the net, 'The Constant Gardener' director Meirelles and 'The Theory Of Everything' and 'Darkest Hour' Oscar winning writer McCarten know how to craft a story as symbolic as it is stirring. As the vast landscape of this perfect picture goes from the wide world wonders to backgrounds of canvas pure white that these two Popes are trying to aspire to, even in the Autumn of their lives. And in the CGI de ageing age of 'The Irishman' this fellow Netlfix movie relies even more on the authentic make-up and casting pilgrimage to find young actors that look exactly like they could be in the family tree of these elder statesmen. They may actually have roots. The Pryce is right for Pope Francis, formerly known as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio too. Confessionals over pizza reveal more about each man, slice by slice. And 'The Wife' and 'Taboo' star Pryce cuts to the quick with a guilt that sears below his skin, despite his calm and charismatic, football fan, fun loving demeanour. Whilst 'The Silence Of The Lambs' and 'Remains Of The Day' fellow legend carries a weight that could change the course of everything along with his instantly iconic screen presence he guild guides here. But as great as these two individual icons are-the big name Hopkins and the ever underrated Pryce-the Welshmen (how's that for a movie name?) are nothing without each other in this portrait picture. These 'Two Popes' deserve two awards, but these two Best Actors only support each other in the spirit of this films as they share top billing in this movie. Their wits may have to battle again for the Academy this February, but whoever ends up waving to the Oscar congregation wouldn't have the torch passed by any other brother than their countrymen and co-star confidant here. Gervais jibes about 'Cats' star Corden and 'Once Upon A Time In...Hollywood' star Leo DiCaprio's relationship runtime may be funny. Still these 'Two Popes' deserve more bowing respect. But like the real Pope Francis who had to be slap unhanded by the grasp of that over zealous devout, it's time to let go. TIM DAVID HARVEY.
Further Filming: 'The Young Pope', 'The New Pope', 'Final Portrait'.
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