We Have A Pope
Netflix | Google Play | YouTube | Amazon
DVD | DVD
Directed by Nanni Moretti
Starring Michel Piccoli, Nanni Moretti, Jerzy Stuhr, Renato Scarpa, Lucia Mascino
01 Distribution
Originally Released: April 15, 2011

With the selection of the new Pope this week, Francis I, it would be opportune to take a look at a film about the Papacy and the Vatican. Despite any criticisms or predisposition one might have about the leadership of the Catholic Church – whether a believer or not – the tradition of the Conclave in which a new Pontiff is elected has major historic significance, and is done so in a secretive manner that captures the attention of millions for a wide spectrum of reasons.

The convention of electing a Pope is not only secretive, but incredibly complicated, and has been going on for thousands of years. In the face of growing criticism from many over the scandals and cover-ups that have afflicted the Church in recent years, it’s tempting to dive into a film that perhaps examines these elements, a movie that attempts to highlight the aging tradition has no place in the contemporary.

Belle De Jour
DVD | Blu-ray
Directed by Luis Bunuel
Starring Catherine Deneuve, Michel Piccoli, Genevieve Page
The Criterion Collection
Release date: January 17, 2012

When digging through the history of film, very few filmmakers had quite the career of one Luis Bunuel. The surrealist icon first started in the short film medium (giving the world classics like Un Chien Andalou) only to get behind some of the most intriguing pictures of his generation, none of the cult auteur’s canon may be quite as beloved as his fantastical Belle De Jour.

Featuring Bunuel’s patented themes of human desire and pleasure, Belle feels like the physical manifestation of each and every single aspect of the surrealist belief structure, all in the guise of one of the most beautiful and complex pieces of narrative from one of film’s most interesting directors.