[Alex Murphy]

Crowe used social media in his lobby effort, tweeting to the pope that the film's message is "powerful, fascinating, resonant" and, in another message, calling on his 1.37 million Twitter followers to use their own tweets to cajole Francis into watching the film. The Vatican did not directly respond to Crowe's lobbying efforts, but Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi, when asked if the pontiff would see Stephen Frears' Oscar-nominated Philomena -- which is critical of the church's one-time handling of children born to single mothers -- said the pope does not watch films.

If true, that contradicts assertions from a story that broke last year in which Francis told an Italian interviewer he enjoyed classic Italian films from directors including Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, and Luchino Visconti, and that he would take a look at two new films recommended by interviewer Eugenio Scalfari: Ettore Scola's Fellini homage, How Strange to Be Called Federico, Scola Talks About Fellini (Che strano chiamarsi Federico, Scola racconta Fellini), and the political comedy Viva la liberta from Roberto Ando.

[a fool in paradise]

But wouldn’t the Islamists then have to issue a fatwa against the Pope???

[Gaffer]

Complete and utter narcissistic vanity. He should be ashamed.

[Cincinatus]

If the Pope wants to watch the story of Noah, all he has to do is wander into the Sistine Chapel and look at the ceiling. A better work of art than Crowe’s movie, I’ll wager.

[areukiddingme1]

“Russell Crowe Lobbies Pope Francis to See ‘Noah’”

Uuuuhhhh, hey Russell, I’m pretty sure the Pope is up to speed on Noah...

Hey Russell, how about you read the bible, eh?

[Drango]

I saw the trailer...seems very cheesie. Not sure of the words to use, but this isn’t much of a biblical flick.

[lulu16]

Why would the Pope,or anybody who rejects trashy movies like The Wrestler (cocaine, random sex, ugly violence), want to see anything by this director?

[ConorMacNessa]

Let me guess - in the Hollywood version, the Ark runs aground on Breakback Mountain.

America demands Justice for the Fallen of Benghazi!

EAGLES UP! Once more unto the breach, my friends, once more!

Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. (Isaiah 49:1 KJV)

[skeeter]

Its interesting that commercials for this movie are adding a disclaimer at the end stating the movie is biblically accurate.

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I don’t know, I wouldn’t mess with Russell Crowe, he likes to fight.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvyCWsErRSI

[Mount Athos]

I don’t get the negativity.

It doesn’t have to be a purely religious movie, nor very spiritual, as long as it isn’t blasphemous or insulting.
I don’t know how good a job he did.

The end of the world and start of a new one alone is good subject matter for a movie.

Then people get interested in the subject and crack open the bible to see the real story, or talk about it with others. Maybe they read other things too.