It's 1988 and Pope John Paul II is expected to visit the Uruguayan city of Melo, just west of the Brazilian border. As word of the Pope's arrival spreads, hundreds, if not thousands of pilgrims flock to the city to catch a glimpse of the spiritual leader. One man who believes he's got it in the can, so to speak, is Beto, a petty smuggler with an ingenious plan to provide toilet facilities to the masses.
Directed by
César Charlone; Enrique Fernández.
Written by
César Charlone; Enrique Fernández.
Starring
César Troncoso (Beto); Virginia Méndez (Carmen); Mario Silva (Valvulina); Virginia Ruiz (Silvia); Nelson Lence (Meleyo); Henry De Leon (Nacente); Jose Arce (Tica); Rosario Dos Santos (Teresa); Hugo Blandamuro (Tartamudo). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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A Good Central Message Lost in an Average Film
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Limited Recommendation
I won't reveal what that central message is for fear of ruining the plot of the film for those that do still want to watch 'The Pope's Toilet'. In all though, I don't think that the writer/director team of César Charlone and Enrique Fernández knew the audience they were aiming for with this film. For the quirky central premise of the film (get rich quick by building a toilet for Papal tourists) is something that would suit a family audience perfectly, yet the relatively high use of swearing throughout the film, as well as a 'villain' that was overly gratuitous in his speech, meant that the film was firmly bracketed in an audience for those aged 15 and upwards. Which is a shame, because there was some good acting from the central cast; especially Beto's wife and daughter - the latter, with her aspirations of being a journalist, being the true highlight of this film. The camera work was also good - though a little reminiscent of 'The Motorcycle Diaries' at times. If there was one thing that I think could've redeemed this film though, it would simply have been a visit inside their local church - a period of reflection once the Pope's visit was over, to pray in front of the Altar, or take in some spiritually nourishing religious iconography to break up the bleak landscape of Melo and all of the hustle and bustle that had gone on beforehand. All of that said, I do think the film may still have a strong ability to reach out to natives of Uruguay, or other South Americans, with a simple but important message regarding one's priorities in life; a message we all need to be reminded of regularly.
