El Baño del Papa (The Pope's Toilet) (2007)
Average Rating: 6.6/10
Reviews Counted: 25
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 3
An offbeat charmer, The Pope's Toilet is a humorous, well-crafted tale with plenty of heart and a poignant social message.
Average Rating: 6.3/10
Critic Reviews: 7
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 1
An offbeat charmer, The Pope's Toilet is a humorous, well-crafted tale with plenty of heart and a poignant social message.
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Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 4,188
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Movie Info
Uruguayan directors César Chalone and Enrique Fernández co-helm the nutty Spanish-language farce El Baño del Papa (The Pope's Toilet). The film unfolds in 1988, during Pope John Paul II's visit to Uruguay. While dozens of economically struggling locals devise plans to turn a buck from the arrival of the papal father -- such as baking cakes and wrapping chorizo sausages -- only one concocts a scheme to earn a fortune from defecation. Beto, a nickel-and-dime smuggler, reasons that all of those
May 21, 2007 Wide
Apr 14, 2009
Cinemien
Cast
-
César Troncoso
Beto -
Virginia Méndez
Carmen -
Mario Silva
Valvulina -
José Arce
Tica -
Virginia Ruíz
Silvia -
Henry De Leon
Nacente -
Rodrigo dos Santos
Teresa -
Nelson Lence
Meleyo -
Alex Silva
Luna -
Baltasar Burgos
Ã?lvarez Captain, Álvar... -
Carlos Lerena
Soldier -
Aníbal Santos Núñez
Cyclist -
Marcelo Ornes
Cyclist -
Wally Abreo
Wally -
Paula Larruina
Child In Shop -
Carlos Lissardy
Ches The Madman -
Hugo Blandamuro
Barman "Stuttermouth" -
William Aceredo
Burgler -
Emilio Pica
IMCL Official -
Lindolfo Aeske
Shopkeeper -
Cynthia Sylveira
Silvia's Friend -
Pablo Solano
Journalist -
Rosana Villa
Neighbour 1 -
Yolanda Mederos
Neighbour 2 -
Brandon Antuña
Boy With Stone -
Jessica Tiscornia
Mother With Baby -
Rolando Izquierdo
Workman -
Carlos Andrade
Butcher -
Andrea Álvarezs
Wife -
Jorge Manzilla
Turco -
Julia Romero Stoppiello
magazine lady -
Angélica Silvera
Maria -
Marlene Vilela
Doctor -
Diego De Silva
Vendor -
Tonatan Da Silva
Student -
Marcos Mier
student -
Walter Ferreira
student -
Jorge Almeida
student -
Romulo Ortiz
student -
Raul Olivera
student -
Víctor Pérez
student -
Mirta Machado
student
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All Critics (27) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (24) | Rotten (3) | DVD (2)
The cast of pros and amateurs provides realistic performances, and co-director Charlone's lensing makes beautiful use of the rough landscape in a movie even the pope would enjoy.
Top CriticWatch it now, and you'll be surprised how such a little movie can cut so deeply to the bone.
The Pope's Toilet cloaks religious critique in the scrappy tempo of irremediable poverty and irrepressible enterprise.
The Pope's Toilet entertains, even while it illustrates how the impoverished can adjust their religious ideals out of desperation.
The movie isn't as bad as I feared, but I can't give it much of an endorsement, either.
The Pope's Toilet excels most in its expression of a particular time and place, which Charlone films with the kind of physical intensity and realism associated with recent Argentine cinema.
The storytelling is a marvel of visual narrative technique.
Despite the sensationalism of Holy Father's arrival, the subtext here is that there's a speck on the map whose poor are treated as well as a backed-up john.
A celebration of hope, humor and resilience among the humble and only secondarily a dig at media distortion and the disconnect between the Church and the poor.
Simultaneously charming and hard-hitting
Although not the best imaginative movie title ever to grace a matinee sign, The Pope's Toilet resonates with a distinctive warmth and sense of reality and purpose.
Not as funny as the title would suggest.
This bittersweet parable has loads of charm but several graver issues are also raised.
Charming and hilariously offbeat.
It's charming in a proper way, entirely avoiding sentiment and can be counted one of the best films in town.
Lots of bruised humour, quiet virtuosity - watch for the slow-motion montage of disaster - and doggy-eyed optimism.
El Baño Del Papa (which translates as The Pope's Toilet) is an engaging and humane affair, never losing sight of its characters' material hardships.
Worth spending a penny on, but not much more.
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Foreign Titles
- El baño del Papa (DE)
- The Pope's Toilet (El Bano del Papa) (UK)
Inspired by a real story, "The Pope's Toilet" is a heartfelt movie about a poor community that is hampered by the arbitrary nature of borders and authority that preys on the weak. So, you can understand that they see a huge opportunity when the Pope comes to visit. For the faithful, this means spiritual but most see it as a chance to make money to at least temporarily lift them out of poverty. And some wonder if it is right to make money off the Pope's visit. But, then, they do not have any choice, do they? And what's more important, anyway?