(Caidyn)
3/5
Sometimes, I get little trials for a weekend of different networks. A couple of weeks ago, I got HBO. Like usual, I scrolled through what they have available to watch and I found this one. And I suddenly remembered that I had desperately wanted to watch it when it was airing and now I had the chance to watch it.
Boy was it fun.
It follows the story of Lenny, a man who becomes Pope Pius XIII. He was abandoned as a child at an orphanage, something that haunts him his whole life. Sister Mary is the nun who took care of him. She’s his most trusted advisor and a woman he sees as a mother.
The plot was a bit thin at times and I found it difficult to follow (probably because I was doing other things while watching it) but I still found it fun. The scenes were hilarious. The cinematography was great. The costumes were amazing. It really felt like I was in the older days where the pope really ran the world. Lenny/Pius was trying to get back to those days through his papacy.
And he’s doing it in style.
As I said, it was funny. I was cackling at the opening scene with Lenny’s first speech to the Catholic nation. Then, it was just a gorgeous show with rich scenes. I can’t picture anyone but Jude Law playing Lenny. Same with Diane Keaton as Sister Mary.
While it’s not a show for everyone, I think it’s worth a try. There’s not a lot of sex in it, surprisingly, and it really follows the internal journey of Lenny. And his move in what many of us would see is a bad direction.
BW Reviews 