
Munich - The Edge of War
2021

Inspired by true events.
Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.

Frustrated with the direction of the church, Cardinal Bergoglio requests permission to retire in 2012 from Pope Benedict. Instead, facing scandal and self-doubt, the introspective Pope Benedict summons his harshest critic and future successor to Rome to reveal a secret that would shake the foundations of the Catholic Church.
Jonathan PryceJorge Bergoglio / Pope Francis
Anthony HopkinsJoseph Ratzinger / Pope Benedict XVI
Juan MinujínYoung Jorge Bergoglio
Luis GneccoCardinal Hummes
Cristina BanegasLisabetta
María UcedoEsther Ballestrine
Renato ScarpaCamerlengo
Sidney ColeCardinal Turkson
Achille BrugniniCardinal Martini
Federico TorreProtodeacon Estevez
Germán de SilvaFather Yorio
Lisandro FiksFather Jalics
Libero De RienzoRoberto
Willie JonahCardinal Arinze
Vincent RiottaDriver
Martina SammarcoGandolfo Nun
Guido LosantosFather Pepe
Nicola AcunzoPapal Gardener
Cecilia DazziNun

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Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce deliver two award-worthy performances, elevating a surprisingly humorous story about religion. Not a fan of the editing and the film goes on for a bit too long. Rating: B
This is quite a clever piece of work. Both performances demonstrate a complex, sometimes conflicted, humanity in a touching and thought-provoking way. Hopkins, as the scholarly Benedict XVI coming to realise that he no longer feels capable - for various reasons - to remain Pontiff and Pryce as Cardinal Bergoglio with whom he has little in common, and who has come to Rome to seek his permission to retire. The story focuses more on the trials and tribulations of Bergoglio as he rises to prominence in the Jesuit order and navigates the political turmoil of Argentina in the 70s and 80s where he develops a much less "conservative" approach to the issues facing the Catholic Church than his Pope. By the conclusion, however, both men appear reconciled to the honesty and integrity of the other. The extent to which the detail is true is anyone's guess - but by using humour, sport and even ABBA, this proves to be an intimate observational film that is certainly one of Netflix' better commissions.

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