Review of Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018) by Tim M — 06 Jan 2019

When you watch a movie about a subject you know little about it can go multiple ways. 'Pope Francis - A Man of his Word' is a surface look at the preachings of a man who is progressive in a church that hasn't always embraced his teachings. This is a mostly positive profile of our current Pope by Wim Wenders. It's a documentary so light hitting that when it shows footage of the questions we want to discuss it moves quickly away to a friendlier approach. Perhaps this is a man who should be treated with such reverence. Perhaps not.

We should not lose track of the message here in the Pope's own words. It's inclusive, anti-wealth and pro poor. Those beliefs could be described as anti-American. What I find fascinating is how many supposed Catholics have disavowed the Pope's teachings. This is the kind of person who inspires non-catholics, including myself. My wife loved this as it's everything she stands for. What a role model for young people. Pope Francis' long-term ideas are spewed into the short-term world. He may be decades ahead of his time or centuries late, but either way he is someone to be praised.

The film is fine despite it's flaws. The narration by Wenders is a bit Herzogian, but luckily it's limited. Wife: 9.0/Husband 6.9 Final Average Score: 7.95/10.