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Published: 1 December, 2011
by DAN CARRIER

Directed by Nanni Moretti
Certificate PG

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

When the Cardinals decide who shall be the next Pope, they lock themselves in the plush, inner sanctums of the Vatican and hold a vote for one of their number to be the holiest of holies, a global figurehead for the estimated 1.1 billion people who consider themselves Catholic.

It is God’s will, apparently, at work – so if you are a hardcore believer it must be quite daunting to have yourself shuffled into the position of the Pontiff.

And imagine if you receive the backing of your fellow cardinals, only to get a horrible dose of stage fright as you proceed to the balcony overlooking St Peter’s Square, as you are about to give your first Papal blessing.

This is the opening gambit in this hilarious, quirky, original and captivating film about a man chosen to be Pope – but who gets a serious collywobbles as he dons the white robes.

The new Pope is faced with the fact that he has been chosen, selected essentially by God, to be his envoy on Earth.

Then he is faced with the job of defending established Catholic teaching in the face of enlightened modern thought that rather undermines some key tenets of the faith.

This is a challenge our new Pontiff isn’t overly keen to face and doesn’t feel prepared or able to.

The Vatican appears rather nice, rather harmless, like a very posh sheltered housing scheme for elderly men.

The cardinals are like a bunch of purple-clad tortoises, enjoying simple pleasures, doing jigsaws, making idle gossip and having fun.

This film is incredibly original.

It takes a simple story and throws in a collection of great characters who are affected by this drama.

The Vatican fixer, the guardsman asked to stand in for His Holiness, the estranged husband and wife psychoanalysts given the job of getting the Pontiff’s head right, the half-crazed actor performing Chekhov for the new Pope, the incompetent TV journalist who begs for a quote from a tight-lipped senior Monseigneur, and then requests a lingering shot of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

It reminds a little of The Madness of King George as humour pops up in unexpected places.

I was particularly taken with the behaviour of one of Vatican guards.

A comic driver is in the traditions of the Vatican, and provides surreal comedy.

Little touches abound.

The cardinals are not meant to leave the Vatican until the new Pontiff has greeted the faithful in St Peter’s Square.

But with the delay, one Italian priest decides he would like to take two cardinals from abroad for a proper cappuccino and a peek at a Caravaggio exhibition.

For the director to mine comedy out of this is quite extraordinary – and a mark of the brilliant quirkiness this film has bundles off.

Just wait for the Papal volley ball tournament.