Conclave
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini
Directed by: Edward Berger
After the death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) must oversee the election of a new Holy Father at the Vatican. As Cardinals come from all over to be sequestered in the election, they bring their secrets with them. A trail of uncertainty and corruption hangs over the process. Cardinal Lawrence wonders if there anyone who can be trusted to lead the church.
Conclave is a fictional account of a Papal election based on a novel of the same name by Robert Harris. And boy, is it dramatic! All of the Cardinals in this movie has have a secret. The rumors are running rampant! No one is safe. If this movie had a theme song it would be Rumors by Lindsay Lohan. (An underrated classic if you ask me.)
Director Edward Berger adapts the film so it is filled with tension, character strife, and unexpected plot-twists. At its core, Conclave follows Cardinal Lawrence as he grapples with where the church is headed and questions his faith. The film questions whether Cardinals are going after the Papacy for power vs. actual change. Are there any Cardinals who want the Papacy for genuine reasons?
Conclave focuses on the Catholic Church and asks if it is going to remain stoic or embrace reform? The film does a great job of showcasing these ideals in the form of the Cardinal’s personalities. Cardinals like Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) represent the loud and legalistic personality type. Whereas Cardinals like Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and Benitez (Carlos Diehz) showcase more loving and levelheaded personalities that seem a better fit for such a massive undertaking. It’s a fascinating dynamic.
Ralph Fiennes anchors the film as Cardinal Lawrence, the man stuck in the center of the action. The whole movie all I could think was, “This seems like a very stressful job.” As Lawrence, Fiennes showcases the struggle of the character wrestling with doubts in his faith. Lawrence balances the management side of the position with the spiritual side. Lawrence uncovers many secrets that could threaten the Papacy. This is quite a memorable performance from Fiennes who acts as the audience surrogate for the film.
Stanley Tucci is also a standout as Cardinal Bellini, a man who hopes for the best possible outcome for the church. He wants reform for the Catholic Church, but fears the potential power and corruption that the wrong Pope could bring. Bellini and Lawrence’s friendship is one of the best aspects of the film.
Isabella Rossellini has a small but important role as Sister Agnes, representing the nuns at the Vatican. She is meant to keep silent, yet she sees and hears everything that takes place. She tiptoes around without making a sound, yet she knows some of the most important details of anyone. Rossellini is great in this, making us wonder what secrets she’s hiding.
I had some issues with the editing in Conclave. There are times I wish certain scenes were longer while others felt very repetitive. For instance, there’s a moment when a woman is about to give a pretty important confession and it just cuts. We get the information later on from another character. It felt like a super weird place to cut. This happens a few times. The many election sequences feel super repetitive. I get it. None of these Cardinals can make up their mind on a Pope.
Conclave has some repetitive sequences, but it is an intriguing slow burn character thriller that keeps you guessing until its final moments.
My Rating : 7/10