Movie Review: Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word

With II Papa due in Ireland later this month, it's the perfect time to release Pope Francis: A Man Of His Word into Irish cinemas and...what, exactly? inform the general populace? Pander to his fans? Capitalise on his visit?
Director Wim Wenders' motivations for making the film are no clearer.

Not that Pope Francis isn't a worthy subject for a documentary. Intelligent, charismatic and acutely aware of many of the horrors facing the modern world, he was a man of firsts: the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope, and the first pope of his name, taken from St. Francis of Assisi. And he has, in many ways, proven extraordinary.

Wenders shows footage of Francis openly criticising the Church's vanity and greed, campaigning for environmentalism, washing the feet of prisoners and the poor, and telling a joint session of US Congress that their arms deals are endangering the world. Wenders' interviews with Pope Francis demonstrate how he embodies this humility. Speaking directly to the camera, he is plain-spoken but philosophical, his warmth radiating from the screen. But Wenders never questions or challenges Pope Francis beyond his prepared statements.

Though footage shows the Pope generically condemning child sex abuse and vaguely tolerating homosexuality, Wenders doesn't ask him to elaborate. The director never probes into what it's like to be the face of an institution that has hurt so many people, and doesn't follow up on statements like "macho and feminist movements are of no use."

Wenders instead wastes time with a cheesy reimagining of St. Francis' life in black and white vignettes. "It's an extra dose of saccharine to a platitudinous film that feels less like documentary, more like PR.