Conclave, 2024.
Directed by Edward Berger.
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, Sergio Castellitto, Brían F. O’Byrne, Merab Ninidze, Jacek Koman, Rony Kramer, Joseph Mydell, Thomas Loibl, Loris Loddi, Willie Jonah, Romuald Kłos, Roberto Citran, Madhav Sharma, Garrick Hagon, Vincenzo Failla, and Bruno Novelli.
SYNOPSIS:
When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of The Church.
Although undeniably on the nose, mirroring the sequestered and secretive election process for a new pope to modern-day American political elections, director Edward Berger’s Conclave is scintillating and has the good sense to be twisty fun while also making solid, if obvious, observations on power and those contending for it. It’s a prestige drama married with airport novel thrills, based on a book by Robert Harris, with Peter Straughan adapting it for the screen. There is less talk of policy here and more catty scheming and slandering than anything, with an assortment of mysteries to get to the bottom of.
Catholic Church dean Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, adding layers of emotion and conflicted feelings underneath what could have been a fairly straightforward investigation role) is in charge of the conclave set to take place in the wake of the Pope’s death caused by heart failure. The objective of the clandestine meeting is to select a new pope, which can only be achieved when one candidate obtains at least two-thirds votes from his fellow Cardinals. Similar to a US election (or any presidential election), these hopefuls come from various social beliefs and countries, ranging from morally sound left-leaning liberal takes to full-on bigotry and racism.
While Lawrence is technically one of the options, he is also a man of shaken faith who only carries out this remaining duty out of loyalty to the previous Pope and plans on resigning once the conclave is finished. However, he isn’t losing faith in God but rather faith in the Catholic Church. Who can blame him, considering the earth-shattering sexual abuse scandals that blew up, not to mention the fact that one of the candidates believes gay people should be punished in this life and sent to hell in the next. Believe it or not, that guy isn’t even the worst option; the Catholic Church would be able to spin it as electing the first Black pope.
Tedesco (a peacocking Sergio Castellitto) is the most conservative and hateful of the bunch. He would undo decades of progress in diversity and equality and repeatedly criticized and insulted the previous pope. Again, in a film that is far from subtle, he comes across as the Donald Trump of Cardinals, which is also by far one of the strangest things I have ever written. Fortunately, Cardinal Lawrence and the like-minded liberals have a counter to this in Stanley Tucci’s Bellini, standing for everything Tedesco doesn’t, including giving women more of a voice. The problem is that, much like Lawrence, it’s not a responsibility he actually wants, taking a lackadaisical approach to garnering votes within the organization. Nevertheless, he knows he is the strongest option among people who stand a legitimate shot at winning the majority vote.
Unfinished business from the dead pope also rears its head in the form of John Lithgow’s Tremblay, who the Pope apparently ordered to resign for some unknown shameful reason. Then, there is the arrival of a Cardinal from Kabul, secretly anointed by the Pope for protection’s sake. This is Benitez (Carlos Diehz), quiet and noble, only interested in electing the man best fit for the job, even if it means repeatedly voting for Lawrence, even when he pleads with him to change his vote to Bellini. Elsewhere, the homophobic Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) is gaining favor yet is also on track to face a scandal from his past. Isabella Rossellini also rounds out the cast as Sister Agnes, assisting Lawrence with aspects of his investigation while being unafraid to call these men of the cloth out on their backstabbing games.
Speaking of that investigation, it’s another thing that Lawrence doesn’t want to do, but he feels compelled to dig into the truth even if it means breaking some rules, simply because it’s a last resort and potentially the only way to ensure someone worthy is selected to be Pope. It also plays into one of the film’s themes, that certainty may as well be a sin and is the enemy of doubt. For all he knows, there might be a more palatable, better liberal choice among them. Lawrence is also the most fleshed-out and fully realized character, working with some reflective emotional moments and complicated thoughts, whereas everyone else merely comes across as a mouthpiece for their beliefs or defined by whatever it is they are covering up.
Equipped with some gorgeous cinematography (Stéphane Fontaine) and imagery of religious murals, and a pounding score (Volker Bertelmann) that is intense yet feels more suited for something more action-oriented such as Edward Berger’s previous Oscar-nominated work, his All Quiet on the Western Front remake, Conclave is immersive and gripping. However, it is not beholden to seriousness per se, knowingly and confidently wrapping things up with a doozy of a twist that works, even if some elements required to reach that point are grounded in some unconvincing vast optimism. While that final reveal is entertaining, it also reflects how simplistic the storytelling and messaging are here. There’s probably a bit too much blind faith in that regard. Thankfully, the journey there is crammed with juicy intrigue and compelling pettiness, amusingly (and sometimes depressingly) reflecting American politics.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
