Concept: Mini-series about the life of the man who became Pope Francis, starting in his early days as a seminary student, going through his priesthood under the brutal Argentine regime, till when he becomes Pope.
Viewed: 2016

• I usually avoid biopics, as they tend to adulate their subject matter with a fervor that I don’t share. 
• This biopic is about the man who became Pope Francis, and I thought, “Maybe this one is different.” Because Pope Francis himself is different. The real Pope Francis is both a throwback to the foundation of the Gospel as a Christ-centered faith of compassion and an “anti-Pope” who positions himself against all the trappings of power and prestige that the papacy brings. So I thought this four-part mini-series had a chance of being something unique. And I was right.
• The mini-series deals with the life of Jorge Mario Bergoglio from the time he was a seminary student to his election as Pope Francis.
• But this movie is as much about the Argentine “Guerra Sucia” (Dirty War) as it is about Bergoglio; the Dirty War was the period from 1974-83 in which a fascist military dictatorship oppressed Argentina and resulted in the disappearance of 9,000 to 30,000 people, known as “los desparecidos” (literally, “the disappeared”).
• During most of the time that the mini-series takes place, Bergoglio was a provincial superior, something like the head of the local geographical sector of his church. What does a figure of religious authority do when his government starts annihilating its citizens and his church bears some degree of complicity? Speak out? Then you’re dead. Don’t speak out? Then you’re complicit as well. Such is the dilemma that was presented then and still presents itself today in many places around the world.
• “Llámame Francisco” is a great mini-series that skillfully captures that dilemma between religious conviction and institutionalized evil, as well as the heroism of those who strive to oppose that evil.
• The series presents Bergoglio not as a saint but as a man struggling to understand and do what’s right in the midst of a dark time, seeing many of those he loves fall victim to state torture and murder.
• Rodrigo de la Serna is completely convincing as the younger Bergoglio, bringing across both the man’s charisma and his deep emotions.
• Everything about the series—the high production values, the all-round excellent acting, the engaging direction and writing—gives that clout of authenticity that few films have. You really get a sense of the tragedy, the horror and the immense scale of the evil occurring, and you can’t help but feel for the characters as they try to cope with a terrible situation.
• There are some very strong torture scenes, so this isn’t a family movie or light entertainment.
• It’s a work of both powerful spiritual light and immense darkness. “Llámame Francisco” truly deserves recognition as one of the best films in 2016 and one of the greats in the mini-series format.
• BTW, during the 1970s, then-U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and high-ranking government officials secretly provided support to the Argentine military junta and its “Guerra Sucia.” That’s not something mentioned in the mini-series, but it’s good to know.

Not for Kids