Last night I spent some quality time with the streaming services I pay for! It doesn’t happen often, but I was excited to watch these two films.
On Netflix, I watched new release and potential Oscar contender, The Two Popes, which chronicles the relationship between Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis. The film delves more deeply into Pope Francis’ past life and the atrocities he thinks he committed, but Pope Benedict XVI has similar regrets. Instead of allowing Pope Francis to retire as Cardinal, Pope Benedict XVI tells him that he wishes to step down with hopes of Francis taking over the papacy. This conversation takes course over a week of so in Italy, and it’s mesmerizing watching these two acting stalwarts tackle such a special time in life.
Pope Benedict XVI is very strict, by the book, and lacks somewhat of a personality, whereas Pope Francis doesn’t want any of the rigidity of Catholic traditions. And the man loves soccer! It was very fun watching the two feed off of each other, and it was neat to see inside the world of the Pope. I can definitely see why Pryce and Hopkins have been nominated, so I hope the love gets them a nod at the Oscars. If you’re a Catholic, or religious in any way, I’d say this is a must-watch.
Next up on Hulu, watched the movie Mapplethorpe, which centered around the career of Robert Mapplethorpe. Man this guy lived a crazy life! He was in a very serious relationship with rocker, Patti Smith (you can read more in several of her books), before embracing is homosexuality. I think this is also what inspired his work, which was very erotic for the time. At the beginning of his career, he had quite a hard time breaking through the art scene, and not just because of his subject matter, but because photography was only just starting to get recognized as an art form.
It was a fairly fascinating watch, but I imagine any novels about him would be infinitely more intriguing. I would also like to see an exhibit of his work someday. This movie is definitely mature and not for everyone, so I suppose watch it at your own risk.
With more days off for the holidays to come, prepare yourselves for more reviews!