The Two Popes (2019)

This interesting story shows what it would have been like if Pope Benedict and the future Pope Francis had met before Benedict set precedent by resigning and Francis took his place in 2013. A little long, it nonetheless features Oscar-nominated performances by Jonathan Pryce as Francis (his physical resemblance to Francis is striking) and Anthony Hopkins as Benedict (not bad either). It's also nominated for Anthony McCarten's script, based on his stage play The Pope (Hopkins' agent asked him to change the name). I didn't think it would win any last night, and I was right.

Here's a spoiler-filled Vanity Fair article proving that the entire movie is fiction, despite its being "inspired by true events."

Fernando Meirelles, a native of Brazil, brings us plenty of colorful scenes in Francis' native Argentina as well as in Rome and environs, with the help of cinematographer César Charlone.

The music by Bryce Dessner, evoking both countries, can be streamed on Apple Music and Spotify. The entire movie can be streamed on Netflix, as we did ten days ago.

Pryce was last blogged for The Wife, Hopkins mentioned in Thor: The Dark World after Red 2, McCarten was blogged for Bohemian Rhapsody, and Meirelles and Charlone for Blindness (before we saw Meirelles' chapter in Rio, I Love You).

Rotten Tomatoes' critics and audiences are tied at 89%, slightly higher than Jack and I would rate it.