Into the hectic life of the television reviewer there occasionally arrives a programme that is just not that reviewer’s cup of tea. The New Pope, for me, is that.

The New Pope
Sky Atlantic

Into the hectic life of the television reviewer there occasionally arrives a programme that is just not that reviewer’s cup of tea. The New Pope, for me, is that. I tried not to approach Paolo Sorrentino’s sequel to his 2017 series, The Young Pope, with too many preconceptions – but I didn’t like his much-lauded film, The Great Beauty. That was a surreal, dreamlike canter through the decadence of wealthy Italians but even rooftop swimming pools full of flamingos didn’t stop me nodding off.

Sorrentino’s Pope dramas, both “Young” and “New”, are also surreal and dreamlike – so if that’s the kind of thing that floats your boat, then you will probably like them more than I did. There are certainly some lovely visuals: a panoply of cardinals, all in their red of course (no dressing-down in a Sorrentino flick), for example, meeting for a secret conclave in what looks like a bamboo grove; glimpses of red among slender green stems – gorgeous. But then, the way I see it, so is beautiful wallpaper.

Get Instant Access

Continue Reading

Register for free to read this article in full

REGISTER

Subscribe for unlimited access

SUBSCRIBE NOW

From just £37.50 quarterly

  Print copy of The Tablet delivered directly to your door.
  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
  Access to the weekly digital copy of The Tablet.
  Full access to The Tablet’s archive – over 180 years of back issues.

Already a subscriber? Login