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

This is the story of a number of firsts. In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first pope from the Americas. He was the first Jesuit pope. And he was the first pope to take the name of Francis.

This documentary film juggles the words of Francis I and the life story of St. Francis of Assisi on whom the pope's life was modeled. As a young man, Francis of Assisi received divine instruction "to restore my house." He followed the calling by renouncing his birthright and his wealth to rebuilt a small church in Italy.

Like Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis I, poverty is central to the Gospels. His message is to address poverty and hunger in the world. He is seen addressing Congress and speaking of the plight of the downtrodden.

In his encyclical for the planet, Francis I wrote about "care for our common home." He addresses environmental issues and speaks of "the culture of waste" before the United Nations, warning about "the globalization of indifference." Above all, he is depicted in the film as a man of the people, especially in his native Argentina. The film also depicts the pope visiting Ground Zero in New York, speaking about the Holocaust, and traveling throughout the world to spread a humble message of hope.

Beyond the literal meaning of his thoughtful words, Francis recognizes the importance of irony. In his interactions with people, he is always jovial. He praises Francis of Assisi as "the apostle of the ear" because he knew how to listen to others.

The program ends with Francis I recalling the wisdom of Thomas More in his poem "Prayer for Good Humor": "Grant me, O Lord, good digestion, and also something to digest." In all facets of his life, Pope Francis I provides plenty of food for thought and with a divine touch of humor.

"Pope Francis: A Man of His Word" is the most recent work by renowned German filmmaker Wim Wenders. After his huge success with critics and an Oscar nomination for his last documentary back in 2014, his three most recent fiction films have been panned mostly, but this one here seems like a success again. Maybe documentaries are more his kind of thing now and the next "Wings of Desire" may not be around the corner. The title here is fairly telling already in terms of what to expect. This is a film about the current Pope. Interestingly enough, wenders made it about the first South American Pope and not about the man who comes from Germany like Wenders and was the Pope before Francis, which may of course have to do with the fact that Francis is far more liberal than Benedict in terms of the Church's values and comments on critical subjects like same-sex relationships, abortions, marriage and several other subjects. But is he really? Some parts of this 1.5-hour movie may indicate that he is, but I read a very recent article yesterday or today that says basically that he comments exactly like the Popes before him on these subjects. Then again it is probably tough to make really modern statements in the position he is in, maybe even impossible. But this should not be the core subject here. Actually, the documentary is much more about global problems like poverty, the environment, children and human rights than it is really about the subject of religion, which may be a bit surprising given who the film is about. But maybe positively surprising even as it is interesting to see a Pope trying to make an impact in these areas and maybe he can help things taking a turn for the better given the fact how much he is admired by these billions of people. Other than that, it is pretty much what you would expect. A bit of insight into earlier years of Francis, but not too much and not too early. We see him travel and see devout Christians touch his hand while being awestruck. We hear interviews with him, we see him on stage and even holding a speech in congress. Sadly, Wenders does not manage to make the film (or the man it is about) stand out as much as I hoped he could. His voice is as nice to listen to as always, even if it not too frequent, basically just brief parts early on and very late. What he says is also not particularly memorable and I struggled in making a connection with the subject there really. The (not so) subtle criticism against the likes of Erdogan, Putin and Trump really feels out of place at the very end and should have been left out entirely. But I guess it fits in well with the mainstream media's message these days. With a quality movie that truly makes an impact, it does not though. Nonetheless, I give the film a thumbs-up. It's a solid look at the current head of Christianity and summarizes him well overall I would say giving interesting insights here and there and some specific facts like that he is the very first Francis in this position. The reenacted flashback scenes with Francis of Assisi did not work too well I'd say, but they also weren't among the film's weakest parts and this area is really all subjective I'd say. Even if it was an okay outcome, it lets me think that Wenders may be past peak, actually for a while already. I hope I'm wrong. All in all, a thumbs-up. Go see it if you care for the subject.