Papa Francesco - Un uomo di parola

Directed by Wim Wenders, this French-German-Italian-Swiss documentary covers many interviews with the pope and includes some footage of public speeches and outings as well. His activist attitude on environmental and economic issues is frequently expressed as is his admiration of Saint Francis of Assisi.

For those of us in the know (and with a certain opinion), the current pontiff has been a diamond in the rough compared to his two predecessors, particularly Pope John-Paul II. Francis applies a very intelligent concern (with relevant references to Christ's teachings) to what is truly ailing the world and spends relatively little attention on church dogma regarding same-sex relationships and women's reproductive rights. He also practices what he preaches in living under more modest circumstances compared to the lavish luxury enjoyed by his predecessors. Much of the film's beginning re-emphasizes these beliefs but it eventually becomes rather dull. As a single talking-head, the doc's impact fades for a while.

Luckily, Wenders adds more style in the second half that restores the energy created at the film's earliest moments. There is a very gripping speech given by Francis at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Israel. From there, the pope is seen visiting European refugee camps as well as the sick (presumably AIDS patients) in African hospitals. There are also moving scenes as he meets with Jewish and Muslim leaders - both secular and religious - sometimes simultaneously.

It's fair to say the documentary is incomplete in that there are no contradictory opinions to Pope Francis or the Vatican in modern times. In one scene, he speaks eloquently about the need to have women's voices heard when important collective decisions are being made. In a Youtube video of just over twenty-two minutes, Mary McAleese (former president of Ireland) points out how Francis' words need to be put into action. But despite some contradictory moments, this film does give a message of hope that a highly influential religious leader may help contribute to changes this planet actually needs. - dbamateurcritic

As a Catholic I was curious to check out this documentary on Pope Francis. I came away humbled by the humility of this Pope. This movie is not preachy or overly zealot about Catholicism. It hits on some universal themes like love, forgiveness, and the impermanence of life. It really feels like the Pope is speaking to you directly. The narrator asked simple fundamental questions and Pope Francis answers theme.

I was surprise to learn some areas of the Pope's concerncs. Like science and the environment. It is a testament to the Pope that he reaches beyond the Roman Catholic Church to speak of the relationships with other faiths. That we are brothers to those other religions and to the heart of faith are not very different at all. - Dr. Wilson Triviño

This movie has a great message which describes humility through a decision this man has made. He quoted many verses from the Bible throughout the movie but it didn't state where to find them. The fact the much of the film showed him speaking in Spanish makes this an easy film for Spanish speaking people who would like to see it. Having the translation below what he said also made it easy for the times he spoke in other languages. The movie was worth it for me to see. I recommend it highly. Stay focused on the words. This movie was made very well for all people and religious sects. Enjoy!

Whether or not you agree with the Catholic Church - its beliefs and actions, etc., the film, shot in documentary and interview style, does provide one with a break from meaningless, shallow viewing. It provides us with the opportunity to contemplate on issues of child abuse, suffering, environmental decline of our planet, freedom, dignity and animal welfare. There were many poignant moments and comments made by Pope Francis. It was time well spent, at the theater.

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" (2018 release; 95 min.) is a documentary about Pope Francis. As the movie opens, we are introduced to the thinking of St. Francis of Assisi, an Italian friar active in the late 12th/early 13th century. We then shift to "Buenos Aires, 1999" as the then-Archbishop addresses a crowd, and just as quickly we move to "St. Peter's Square, 2013", when the conclave elects Pope Francis. We are reminded that the pope is the first to take Francis as his papal name (to honor St. Francis of Assisi), the first pope from the Americas and the southern hemisphere, and the first Jesuit pope. We then settle in to hear from Pope Francis. "Listen a lot, and speak just enough" seems to be the Pope's M.O. At this point we are 10 min. into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from celebrated German documentarian Wim Wenders. Here he gets all-access to the Pope (and indeed the movie was made with full cooperation of the Vatican). Please note that this is NOT a biography of the Pope. In fact, we learn nothing about his background, other than being an Archbishop in Buenos Aires in the late 90s. As it turns out, the movie plays mostly as a private one-on-one discussion, one could even say, sermon by the Pope on a wide variety of topics, including poverty, social justice, the 'culture of waste', empathy towards others, our limited time on this earth, etc., but also some touchy ones such as the sex scandals that have plagued the Catholic church for decades now, and his position on gays and lesbians (by coincidence, today's headline-making news that the Pope tells a gay person "God made you like that and loves you like that" is not a new development and merely affirms what the Pope says in this documentary). Interestingly, the Pope also emphasizes the importance of a smile and a sense of humor (the Pope confesses that each day after his morning prayer, he reads Sir Thomas More's "Prayer For Good Humor"). Please note that you do NOT have to be a Catholic to come away from this film with something meaningful. To me, Pope Francis is a symbol of humility and HOPE. "The future has a name, and it is Hope", the Pope reminds us. Yes, Pope Francis may be a man of his word, but even more, he is a man of action, and in that sense, his life itself is a sermon.

"Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" opened this weekend at my local art-house theater here in Cincinnati. The Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at was attended very nicely (mostly seniors I might add). When the Pope talks directly into the camera (which is most of the time), it feels like he addresses you, and hence not surprisingly, one could hear a pin drop on the theater during much of the movie. If you have any interest in Pope Francis, you can count your blessings with this outstanding documentary. "Pope Francis - A Man of His Word" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.