Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
Skip Conclave. Watch We Have a Pope!
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Hello Reader, Just because people are buzzing about the latest pope drama, Conclave, doesn't mean it's worth your time. You don't need to see Conclave. But you may want to go back 10+ years to see a better pope-related drama, We Have a Pope (Nanni Moretti, 2011, Italy). Who doesn't want to watch a movie about a pope who has a panic attack once he's elected, gets seen by a psychiatrist in front of all the cardinals (see image below), and then runs away from the Vatican and joins a troupe of actors (having always wanted to be one!)? This movie has cardinals playing in volleyball tournaments, The Seagull, and an existential crisis. It puts a human face on the man who will be pope while making you laugh. We Have a Pope on the PodcastWhen I left the cinema after seeing Conclave, all I wanted to do was rewatch We Have a Pope, which has everything that's missing from Conclave: rich characters with clear motivations, humour and wit, and backstage movie that isn't hermetically sealed from the audience. Today on the podcast, I discuss why you should check out Nanni Moretti's delightful We Have a Pope and what it gets right that Conclave gets wrong.
Wondering why you should skip Conclave? Listen to my TIFF 24 episode.In this episode, I talk about the new Ralph Fiennes projects this year, Conclave and The Return, both of which were unfortunately disappointments. Listen to the Ralph Fiennes/Conclave episode Happy listening! Alex
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Seventh Row
Seventh Row is a nonprofit Canadian film criticism publication and publishing house. We're dedicated to helping you expand your horizons by curating the best socially progressive films from around the world and helping you think deeply about them. This newsletter is run by Seventh Row (http://seventh-row.com) but features exclusive content not found on the website.
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