Pope John Paul II
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Movie Reviews of Pope John Paul II
Movie Review: Thoughtful & Compelling Portrayal of a Beloved Figure
Summary: 4 Stars
Cary Elwes and Jon Voight lovingly and skillfully portray one of the most beloved figures of our times. The research and numerous interviews with the Vatican and Pope John Paul II's close associates, make for a humorous and insightful storyline. It emphasizes his connections with Poland even after he becomes Pope and the "little stories" that reveal his humility and his devotion to God and to his friends and homeland. This is a much more personal and intimate portrait than we are accustomed to, and it was very moving.
The lead actors are excellent and the pope's devoted assistant and his secretary of state are especially interesting. Karol Wojtyla's fellow cardinals from Poland are played powerfully by Christopher Lee (Star Wars, Lord of the Rings) and James Cromwell (Babe).
On the down side, this was made as a TV movie and the budget limitations show in a number of the crowd scenes. Sadly incongruent with the overall quality.
Movie Review: Very good, if disjointed, relation of Pope John Paul II's life
Summary: 4 Stars
This film is moving and enjoyable. Two different actors play John Paul II -- Carey Elwes until he becomes Pope, and John Voight after. Both get his voice down very well, so that the change in actor is not jarring at all. Voight portrays the slow decline of John Paul II's health extremely well. A very moving portrayal. The weak points of the film are primarily due to the limited (3 hour) time span. Especially the events of the pontificate seem to fly by, and it can sometimes be confusing as a result -- did he just visit Poland again? The first half is less emotionally moving than, for example "Karol, A Man who became Pope", but seems much more grounded in the facts.Movie Review: Pope John Paul II
Summary: 4 Stars
Very well done. One has their heart, mind and soul opened to the life of this remarkable man. Don't be surprised if you learn something about him, you never realized. Catholic or Protestant - both would gain from this film. Family film? Yes.
Movie Review: Karol Wojtyla, Meet Jon Voigt
Summary: 3 Stars
This interesting and admittedly riveting film--with a few big yawns in the middle--is incredibly moving with Jon Voigt (AN AMERICAN CAROL, NATIONAL TREASURE 2) taking over the lead role from Carey Elwes. It was a strong, Vatican-approved biopic and of course another pathetic biopic was stupidly pitted against this one at the time it was televised.
Elwes gives a pretty smashing performance as a youthful His Holiness, but in fact he strains as he tries so hard to show us a young Father Wojtyla age into a senior bishop. None of the other performers in this film show that immense unprofessional strain. Elwes annoys all the more because he's more than a good half of the nearly 3-hour film.
Passing to the other actors and storyline: this purports to be a film based on the life of Pope John Paul II, yet what is refuses to show the viewer is as telling as the film. Did you know the Pope's mother came from a converted Jewish family? Did you know he was raised in Jewish neighborhoods, had only Jewish friends as a kid and may have had secretly practicing Jewish relatives?
Did you know he was roundly and loudly booed on his trip to Columbia in the 1980s? He actually banged his fist and shouted at the crowd to shut up...he was a man with a temper on him. I know. I was there.
Aside from a sort of rambling mess of a story, which on other occasions I might have said was smooth streamlining, we have the spectacular performances of James Cromwell as Prince Adam Cardinal Sapieha (who was also a prince), and Christopher Lee as Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski. The great Ben Gazzara, here obviously recovered from a stroke, plays a stunning Augustino Cardinal Cassaroli.
For some odd reason, everyone else in this film consists of EuroUnknowns. That's perfectly OK with me, but I hate all the voice dubbing. There are some famous but not easily recognizable voices dubbed over never-before-seen faces. And I guess my point is that it's too much to have to wade through all this to enjoy the film.
Anything with cooperation of the Vatican will have been meddled with by same...and this film shows it. Ben Gazzara has done these kinds of things before, but the movie bears the unbearable stamp of people who know nothing about good film.
This thing could have been SO much better.
Movie Review: The Man Behind the Title
Summary: 3 Stars
I enjoyed learning about the man behind the title "Pope." Even if he had never been the Pope, he was a man whose example was worthy of emulating.