Habemus Papam (Moretti, 2011)

Last updated on: July 26, 2014 at 3:22 pm by Kenneth R. Morefield

Habemus Papam (Moretti, 2011) 2014-07-26T15:22:22-05:00 Kenneth R. Morefield

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I won’t call Habemus Papam one of my most anticipated films of the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, but it was certainly one of the films about which I was most curious. The story of a cardinal whose unexpected election to the papacy sends him into (or confirms an already existing) depression won the Golden Globe in Italy for Best Picture and was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes. Yet it appears to be being positioned as a satirical comedy in North America, with prominent synopsis room given in the TIFF catalog to the plot device of Moretti playing a psychiatrist being brought in to treat the new pontiff (who breaks down seconds before addressing the faithful in Saint Peter’s square).

There are moments of comedy, certainly. Some even border on farce. (Moretti”s psychiatrist is called in to assist the new pope, placed under house arrest until his patient is cured, and then told that pretty much any question he might ask is off limits.) The most successful moments of levity are more generally directed at safer targets than the church–the media, pompous psychiatrists, uber-competitive card players. When the focus shifts to the pope, things get somber, almost sad.

In avoiding incendiary satire or critique, however, Moretti neglects to give us much in the way of insight. TIFF CEO Piers Handling asked Moretti at a Q&A if we were to see political commentary in the renunciation of political power and tie it to current events in Italy? Not really, Moretti, said, making a jest that he generally agrees with all interpretations of his films but Handling’s was just wrong. An audience question claimed to be puzzled as to the pope’s motivation for resisting the office and opined that he wished the film had explored this more. He was “depressed,” Moretti replied, praising the character for owning and naming his own weaknesses but refusing to elaborate much beyond that.

It is, of course, every artist’s right to let his work speak for itself, but I get suspicious when I am repeatedly told that a film is respectful, serious, probing, or important but those who make such claims resist any attempts to unpack what it means. The pope visits a therapist and calls himself an actor. Is he being figurative to protect the office or is this what he really thinks? Moretti’s character begins to debate Darwin with one of the Vatican officials, but they are cut short once each side makes a statement and before either responds. I get that the film was deliberately attempting to be detached, but still… Every time the film threatens to actually go some place, to develop an idea (beyond the core fact that doubts are what make us human), it backs away. It is all implication and no statement, all deliberation but no decision. Dramatically speaking, we never get any white smoke.

Ultimately Habemus Papam felt less like a blasphemy and more like a failure of imagination. This wasn’t a movie. It was an idea for a movie, but it either ended where it should have begun (if it really wanted to explore the culture of Roman Catholicism) or started where it should have ended (if it really wanted the dramatic core to be the renunciation). Moretti laudably avoids the worst places this could go, but once he completes the set up, there’s just nothing there.

All of which is a shame because the film wastes a pitch perfect performance from Michel Piccoli who plays “il papa” as a Chance the Gardener figure having a dark night of the soul. There are so many interesting places this film could go, so many ways it could explore (not just satirize) faith…and we get a round-robin volleyball tournament between an undermanned Oceania team of Cardinals and the “Europe B” team?

Curios indeed.

Reviews

Toronto International Film Festival 2011

Habemus Papam

Nanni Moretti

Toronto International Film Festival

Previous Post

September 14, 2011

The Kid With a Bike (Dardenne & Dardenne, 2011)

Next Post

September 16, 2011 Tyrannosaur (Considine, 2011)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category 10 Years Later 1999 Top 5 2007 Top 10 2008 Favorite Discoveries 2008 Top 10 2009 Favorite Discoveries 2009 Top 10 2010 Favorite Discoveries 2010 Top 10 2011 Top 10 2012 Top Ten 2013 Top Ten 2014 Top Ten Best Picture Winners Christian Spotlight on Entertainment Christianity Today Coming Soon Disclosure Disclosure--AS Disclosure--Book Disclosure--DVDS Disclosure--SEOL Disclosure--Travel Dissenting Opinion Elsewhere Emergenetics Essays Featured Film Fest DC--2014 Film Festivals Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2010 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2011 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2012 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2013 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival 2014 Headline Interviews Laura on the Oscar Winners Podcasts Quick Impressions Reviews RiverRun Film Festival 2014 Television The Criterion Collection The Thin Place To Stream or Not to Stream? Top 10s and Other Lists Toronto International Film Festival 2009 Toronto International Film Festival 2010 Toronto International Film Festival 2011 Toronto International Film Festival 2012 Toronto International Film Festival 2013 Toronto International Film Festival 2014 Uncategorized Video Virginia Film Festival 2011 Virginia Film Festival 2013 Women's Film Festival 2012

Select a Month February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who is the oldest man in the Bible?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Noah Enoch Jared Methuselah