The Two Popes review: Jonathan Pryce and Anthony Hopkins are truly divine

In The Two Popes, history meets fiction as the audience witnesses an important meeting of minds. In the film, Pope Benedict (played by Anthony Hopkins) and the soon-to-be Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) have a long debate over days, which could sound like a rather odd set-up. But amid the debate are tender moments of understanding and recognition between two men bound by their beliefs but different in many other ways.

The Two Popes is written by Anthony McCarten, after he adapted his own play, The Pope.

The premise is incredibly simple: Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, or the future Pope Francis, goes to Rome to offer his resignation as cardinal to Pope Benedict.

But rather than getting the answer he is expecting – as an open critic of the ideas Pope Benedict has put forward throughout his time as pope – he is met with a debate on why he wants to leave.

The film then shows the pair discussing everything from the Beatles to football to theology.

But first, the ceremony which comes with electing a pope is seen, as men in incredible outfits lock themselves away in the Vatican in the hope they can get the high majority required to put someone in the papal seat.

The election plays out like a political drama, as the audience watches Benedict, then known as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, campaigning around the dining room and making pleasantries.

Meanwhile, Cardinal Bergoglio runs from the papacy, despite some of his fellow cardinals voting for him, and even suggesting his reluctance may make him perfect for the job.

Nonetheless, the now Pope Benedict is elected and remains in the seat until, what we know took place historically, his resignation in 2013.

As the years go on, Cardinal Bergoglio is unhappy in his position, watching scandals arise in the Catholic church, and witnessing a more conservative form of Catholicism take over thanks to some of the ideas from Pope Benedict.

But the cardinal’s ledger is not entirely clean as the film attempts to show through flashbacks of the young Bergoglio and his dealings with politicals leaders in his home of Argentina.

The filmmaking is completely stunning, as the pair walk through gorgeous gardens, eat in lavish houses and stand in awe of the beauty of the Vatican.

Hopkins and Pryce are absolutely perfectly matched, not just because they look uncannily like the men they are portraying.

Their chemistry is brilliant and the pair speak as if they have been aware of one another for years, never fully taking the time to speak, and are finally realising the tenderness which could exist if they had been allowed to be friends.

But there is also a sense of stature and position which takes over, as moments when Bergoglio wants to bring back his potential retirement, Pope Benedict is quick to move him along, with his aides ensuring he has his home comforts.

Pope Benedict is seen to eat alone, with a huge bottle of fizzy pop, and play jazz piano to relax, though he doubts his talents constantly.

Begolgio, in contrast, is far more personable and confident, speaking with aides openly and even popping to a nearby pizza stand for a takeaway, despite sporting his cardinal garb.

The contrasts between them are clear, and yet the film shows that, while no one is perfect and their views are clearly opposed, they both desire the church to thrive.

There are touching moments of Catholic confession which create immense intimacy between the pair who have – up until this point – been separated by difference and geography.

And this intimacy is only added to when they settle down to watch Germany vs. Argentina in the World Cup.

While the likelihood of these events having actually taken place is incredibly small, they are nonetheless touching, funny and at times devastating as the men bare their souls to one another in the hope God will confirm their decisions through one another and absolve them of past guilts.

There is a great deal of Catholic ritual, for those who love to catch a glimpse of a world they may not know much about, but there is plenty of humanity which grounds the film divinely.

The Two Popes is out on Netflix on December 20