When traditional Pope Benedict (Anthony Hopkins) decided to step down in 2013, he called the future reformist Pope Francis (Jonathan Pryce) to Rome. The discussion of their conflicts takes up much of the narrative with some side trips to crucial events in the past. When you put 2 powerhouse actors together you can expect a tremendous time and in this case, it pays off…and not in bold emotional grandstanding, but in quiet interactions and underplayed drama. Despite the inevitable debates over doctrine, the script maintains interest by developing the budding friendship of this unlikely couple. With restraint, intelligence and compassion, it’s a fascinating look into this crucial time in Catholic history, resulting in a sweetly affecting film. (Criterion Cinemas only mostly in English but some sections are subtitled Spanish and Latin.)

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