There is something rather daring about the Italians having a gentle poke at the dynamics of life in the Vatican.
And I could just imagine the uncomfortable shuffling of feet and sidewards glances at the first showing in Rome of Nanni Moretti's We Have A Pope.
Of course, heathen's like me, lap up movies like this in the way we bathed in The Life Of Brian.
But Moretti's film is more than just mockery of the Catholic church - it actually seems to respect the enormity of the Pope's job and tries to analyse whether any one man could possibly be up to it.
The simple thrust of the movie is that conclave of senior cardinals has selected a new Pontiff after the death of the previous one.. the only problem is that when the time comes for him to appear at the St Peter's Square balcony, he runs in the opposite direction.
This means that the Vatican holds back from naming the new pope until he gets his head in gear, making up a whole litany of reasons as to why he has no appeared.
In the meantime, the man in question, played with great understatement by 85-year-old Michel Piccolo, seeks the umph to take up the reins as head of the church.
Piccolo comes across as having similar traits to many old people. He makes the point in a therapy session that he can't understand where his energy has gone. In addition, he is dithering - remembering perfectly what happened decades before but being much more hazy about recent events.
I guess one of the points being made is that it might be an idea for the pope to be a whole lot younger.
The conclave is presented as a group of nice old fellas who, while clearly devoted to their calling, enjoy each other's companionship (and even a robust game of cards)..
One suspects, in real life, they may not be quite as normal.
The script by Moretti, Francesco Piccolo and Federica Pontremoli is quick and witty and the satire is gentle.
And that is what makes We Have A Pope work so well. The comedy is far from bruising and yet is, in parts, very funny. The part of a TV reporter in St Peter's Square (Enrico Iannello) gets a laugh but the comedy gold is in Moretti's own role as the pope's therapist.
The volleyball tournament he arranges while the conclave is waiting for the Holy Father to get his act together is hilarious.
This is one of the more original comedies of the year. It may offend the more devout but most will consider it a bit of a giggle. I rated it 7.5/10
0 Comments