Directed By Edward Berger; Screenplay By Peter Straughan; Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini.
Based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name, Conclave follows Thomas Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a British liberal who organizes a papal conclave to elect the next pope. When the vote is split between several candidates, he investigates secrets and scandals about each one. This movie is directed by Edward Berger, who previously helmed the 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. For those who may or may not remember (or even read) my review of that, I personally thought it was overhyped. Following up to a World War I epic, it would’ve been real easy for him to try outdoing himself.
Instead, he does something much smaller in scope, but still dives into something that's thematically very enriching. While the end results here would under normal circumstances not necessarily be my cup of tea, there’s still a lot I appreciated. The editing by Nick Emerson not only keeps things moving well, but it also held my attention from start to finish. Volker Bertelmann delivers with a very haunting musical score. Although Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography was a tad too dark at times. Not that I couldn’t see anything, but some shots were hard for me to spot every single detail in them.
When we first meet Ralph Fiennes’ character, there doesn’t appear to be much on the surface. Yet as the story goes on, layers are peeled off, resulting in quite a complex performance. Of those in the supporting cast, Stanley Tucci makes the biggest impression as an American liberal named Aldo Cardinal Bellini. Everyone else may not have a whole lot to do, but they have their standout moments. John Litghow and Isabella Rossellini are both effective as their respective characters of Joseph Cardinal Tremblay and Sister Agnes. Meanwhile, Lucian Msamati and Sergio Castellitto both have strong scenes as Joshua Cardinal Adeyemi and Goffredo Cardinal Tedesco, respectively.
Conclave is an admirable film that explores such interesting subject matter. It’s also very relevant to the times we’re currently living in. Especially with a presidential election coming up. And I must say that being in an auditorium with a bunch of middle-aged/elderly people to watch a PG rated movie is something you don’t see everyday. While I wouldn’t call this a must see, I do think it is worth watching nonetheless.
Rating: 3.5/5
Based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name, Conclave follows Thomas Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a British liberal who organizes a papal conclave to elect the next pope. When the vote is split between several candidates, he investigates secrets and scandals about each one. This movie is directed by Edward Berger, who previously helmed the 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. For those who may or may not remember (or even read) my review of that, I personally thought it was overhyped. Following up to a World War I epic, it would’ve been real easy for him to try outdoing himself.
Instead, he does something much smaller in scope, but still dives into something that's thematically very enriching. While the end results here would under normal circumstances not necessarily be my cup of tea, there’s still a lot I appreciated. The editing by Nick Emerson not only keeps things moving well, but it also held my attention from start to finish. Volker Bertelmann delivers with a very haunting musical score. Although Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography was a tad too dark at times. Not that I couldn’t see anything, but some shots were hard for me to spot every single detail in them.
When we first meet Ralph Fiennes’ character, there doesn’t appear to be much on the surface. Yet as the story goes on, layers are peeled off, resulting in quite a complex performance. Of those in the supporting cast, Stanley Tucci makes the biggest impression as an American liberal named Aldo Cardinal Bellini. Everyone else may not have a whole lot to do, but they have their standout moments. John Litghow and Isabella Rossellini are both effective as their respective characters of Joseph Cardinal Tremblay and Sister Agnes. Meanwhile, Lucian Msamati and Sergio Castellitto both have strong scenes as Joshua Cardinal Adeyemi and Goffredo Cardinal Tedesco, respectively.
Conclave is an admirable film that explores such interesting subject matter. It’s also very relevant to the times we’re currently living in. Especially with a presidential election coming up. And I must say that being in an auditorium with a bunch of middle-aged/elderly people to watch a PG rated movie is something you don’t see everyday. While I wouldn’t call this a must see, I do think it is worth watching nonetheless.
Rating: 3.5/5