Glowing reviews, Oscar buzz, a “surprise twist” ending, and word-of-mouth enthusiasm have combined to make Conclave more of a must-see now than when it was first released a few weeks ago.
This mystery thriller is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris, adapted by playwright Peter Straughan, and directed by Edward Berger, whose German production of All Quiet on the Western Front won Best International Film in 2023. Conclave is a papal potboiler that gets some slick entertainment value out of the rigidly sequestered process of selecting a new pope. The behind-the-scenes machinations among ambitious cardinals vying for the job keep the plot turns coming, and an opulent production design has been created out of the fancy dress and overall pageantry of the hierarchical operations of Vatican City. If you want to see a cardinal dressed by solemn young priests in about seventeen layers of white garments topped by elaborate red robes and accessories including a beanie, all handled with maximum reverence, then this movie is your jam.
The lead performance of Ralph Fiennes is generally admired and being discussed in terms of a surefire Oscar nomination. With his unhappy eyes and wintry smile, he’s well cast as the troubled Thomas Lawrence, a British cardinal and dean of the College of Cardinals who’s been assigned the job of managing the papal conclave, which is so exacting an operation that it provides good cover for both his wavering faith and his personal ambition that he hasn’t allowed himself to recognize.
Others jockeying for the top spot after the sudden death of a beloved pope are American Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), a liberal friend and ally of Cardinal Lawrence whose election seems far more assured at first than it turns out to be; Canadian Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), who may or may not have been scandalously ousted from his position by the late pope, who died before anything could be made official; Italian Cardinal…
Auteur: Eileen Jones
