The pope is dead.
This incident begins “Conclave,” the latest film from Edward Berger that carries a strong presence at this year’s Academy Awards with eight Oscar nominations for the film.
Adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name, Conclave deals with the aftermath of the pope’s sudden death. It focuses on Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who is leading the Conclave, a voting process by the College of Cardinals to elect a successor to the papacy. As this event is being held, tensions begin to rise as concerning details start to emerge about some of the prospective candidates and what had occurred with them days before the pope’s death.
As Cardinal Lawrence, Ralph Fiennes immerses himself in the character, delivering a truly outstanding performance as a conflicted yet determined figure. This is shown through his adamance about not wanting to be pope, demonstrated in a scene in the second act where he screams at Benitez (an ardent supporter who has voted for him in the previous voting rounds), stating, “I don’t want your vote!”
Stanley Tucci delivers a stellar performance as Aldo Bellini, a close friend and colleague of Lawrence who, despite his reluctance and disinterest in becoming pope, is the favored candidate of the liberal faction of Cardinals.
Bellini and Lawrence’s main rival is Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), a bigoted traditionalist whom they are determined to prevent from taking the papacy. Castellitto delivers a vicious and volatile portrayal of this candidate, shown through his line deliveries and a few scenes in which he smugly takes a hit of his vape.
Another candidate for the papacy is Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), who, like Tedesco, is also favored heavily.
Amongst this extensive ensemble cast is, in his first major role, Carlos Diehz, who portrays Cardinal Vincent Benitez, a Mexican archbishop of Kabul who mysteriously shows up to the conclave. His performance is also excellent with scenes such as when he delivers a monologue in the third act.
Isabella Rossellini has a supporting role as Sister Agnes, stealing the screen when she appears such as a climactic scene involving Tremblay in the film’s second half.
In his first film since his award-winning 2022 adaptation of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” Edward Berger crafts a taut drama under the guise of an engaging political mystery thriller, garnering excellent performances out of the actors and transferring the screenplay from page to screen well.
As for the screenplay, Peter Straughan has written a stellar script that serves as an examination of the corruption that plagues the higher-ups in organized religion (especially reflected in the second half of the film). At other times, the film is humorous with witty dialogue, featuring lines such as, “Well, don’t be blasphemous, Ray. Hell arrives tomorrow when we bring in the Cardinals.”
Easily one of the strongest aspects of the film is the cinematography captured by the film’s cinematographer, Stéphane Fontaine, who creates some fantastic shots — such as a wide shot of the liberal faction sitting in an auditorium with the Cardinals at the very center of the frame with their crimson cloaks standing out. This shot extends to how the cinematography complements the film’s color palette with a plethora of reds, teals, and dark colors shown throughout the film. This is mainly reflected in the combination of these two factors and the beautiful costume design for the Cardinals.
“Conclave” is a truly engaging papal thriller by Edward Berger. It contains a captivating leading performance from Ralph Fiennes and gorgeous cinematography that will leave the viewer on the edge of their seat.
“Conclave” is available to stream on Peacock and to purchase on Blu-ray.
