Tag: Anthony Hopkins

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VIFF Review: The Two Popes is fun and funny

The Two Popes / VIFF 2019

When Pope Benedict XVI resigned, there was a ripple of disbelief. None had resigned the papacy in 700 years. There was concern that he was being forced out due to his traditional and hardline stances. That his health was failing, or worse yet, his mind.

Enter Jorge Bergoglio, a Cardinal from South America who was concerned with the poor and reforming the church. Bergoglio had commanded a few votes at the previous papal election, and he and Benedict disagreed on almost everything, but ultimately it was Bergoglio who would next be elected and made Pope Francis.

The Two Popes retells the story of Bergoglio’s life, as he tells it to Pope Benedict in the year leading up to Benedict’s resignation. It’s a charming movie, with more than a few good laughs and two master thespians playing off one another for nearly two hours. In other words: you should definitely see it.

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Review: Noah

Noah

Darren Aronofsky is a film maker who has made some of my all time favourite films, _Requiem for a Dream_ and _The Fountain_ being two of them. His films are not always pleasant to watch but always leave a lasting impression. He’s able to craft a story and a message in such a way that resonate, and characters who are at once larger than life and relatable. _Noah_ is a good example of these skills, though maybe not the best he’s done.

I am just going to say this above the fold though: you should see this movie if you get a chance. I’m about to tell you that it’s good but not great but here’s the thing: we don’t see films like this much. This is a weird movie that takes a story held sacred by many (literally sacred, not Trekkies and Star Trek sacred) and re-imagines parts of it, changes others, and plays with the motivations and struggles of the lead character. It’s a big effects movie with creatures and animals and battle scenes but it’s not a tent pole action movie. TL;DR version, this movie represents a unique film maker taking a lot of chances and a studio taking a chance on him, this is the type of behaviour we need to support. Good? Good.

Now on to the review.

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