Review of The Two Popes (2019) by Healingtoolbox — 24 Dec 2019

9 or 10 depending on how much you appreciate a dead-on reflection of our current zeitgeist. This is meaty conversation about how the zeitgeist of 2019 can, must and is, shifting away from worship of elites and billionaires; and towards, attention to the 99% as measured by what we do, or fail to do, for the underprivileged.

This is IN NO WAY a buddy comedy. It is a talk-fest with the added grace of extraordinary fortuitous good pacing. In the second half, each pope confronts their own greatest perceived sin. In turn each pope listens to the confession of the other and forgives. This is not quite a character arc for either character. For me since authentic forgiveness in any form is so rare in movies, I found it way engrossing and moving. No more painless way exists to learn the "origin story" of the current Pope Francis. The details, trials and tribulations were new to me. The Darkest Hour with Gary Oldman as Churchill is the other movie like this, by the same screenwriter. See it.