Conclave (2024)

​"Conclave" stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, and Isabella Rossellini.  Released on October 25, 2024, the film has a Cardinal-Dean investigating secrets and scandals about the candidates during a papal conclave.

The film was directed by Edward Berger, who also directed "Jack", "All My Loving", and 2022's "All Quiet on the Western Front".  It is based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris.  Finding someone worthy enough to become a pope is challenging, as they must have the proper sense of leadership, belief, and responsibility.  However, that isn't the only reason for this difficult decision.  The real issue is that the candidates chosen may not be as faithful as they say they are.  If you thought our own politics were just as complicated, then you haven't seen what the Catholic Church in Rome has to deal with when choosing the next pope.  This is the topic of the latest mystery thriller that's been receiving plenty of awards buzz for its seemingly uneventful storyline.  What makes it more fitting is that it was released close to Election Day, which could've been another reason it's attracting so much attention from general audiences.  People couldn't get enough of the political drama, I guess.  But is this film really as invigorating as our own political conversations?  Let's find out.

The story follows the College of Cardinals from the Catholic Church.  Under the leadership of Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes), the group gathers in seclusion for a papal conclave to vote for a new pope after the previous one died of a heart attack.  The four Cardinal candidates, along with Lawrence, consist of Aldo Bellini (Tucci), Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), Joseph Tremblay (Lithgow), and Goffredo Tedesco (Castellitto).  However, each of them has their own secrets to hide, including their beliefs and scandals that could affect the Cardinals' way of life.  As Lawrence struggles with his own beliefs, he further investigates the candidates, leading him to make discoveries that could turn the tide of the papal conclave.

I was initially hesitant about seeing "Conclave".  On the one hand, it's got a decent cast and a director who gained attention from his take on "All Quiet on the Western Front".  In fact, that adaptation was my first exposure to Edward Berger, which I thought was an impressively well-crafted anti-war drama.  On the other hand, dialogue-driven thrillers can be hit-and-miss for me, depending on the concept.  I don't mind thrillers that rely more on characters explaining stuff instead of confronting each other with violence, as there were some that I personally enjoyed.  But if they don't offer something enticing to elevate those dialogue-driven moments, I'd be better off watching the Jason Bourne movies.  There's also the fact that the film is rated PG, which was quite surprising considering its mature religious themes.  I can already imagine a parent seeing this and choosing it as the next family outing because PG-rated movies and dialogue-driven thrillers are always appropriate for children to endure.

Regardless, I finally decided to check it out to see if the hype was warranted.  So, if you're wondering why it took me this long to see it, it's mainly my hesitation and finding the appropriate day to avoid the big crowds.  Was it worth it?  Yeah, it was.  "Conclave" may seem like a dull reflection of the pope-choosing ceremony for most people, but what goes on behind the scenes makes it more enthralling than we believed. It is an enticing eye-opener representing a decision that will determine a Church's future and people's approach to faith.  But, I would be honest that it's far from a perfect thriller.  The reason is, of course, the pacing.  While it managed to improve following the first act, the movie's slow burn combined with the vast amount of dialogue-driven sequences could make specific viewers want to skip out on the church's traditions.  It's far from a complete snooze-fest in my eyes since it is a vastly crafted and stunning attention-grabber.  But, considering its PG rating and layered religious commentary, I wouldn't recommend "Conclave" for their next family outing, especially if they have children with short attention spans.

Now, most people may also argue that its "ludicrous" and "thin" plot was the reason for its imperfection, which seemed silly in itself regarding the tone it's going for.  While Peter Straughan's screenplay has some moments that may seem absurd, they didn't distract me from its thoughtfully layered and even surprising depiction of its religious themes.  One of those topics the film examined is how faith and doubt go hand-in-hand, as explained by Lawrence.  Without a doubt, there's no mystery. Therefore, we don't have faith in others and even ourselves.  So, in a way, the movie displays the imperfections of its characters who abided by the Church's traditions and beliefs, especially Tedesco's traditionalist persona.  The other was its twist ending, which can leave some people scratching their heads in disbelief.  However, in my eyes, it served a purpose in depicting faith and loyalty, mainly for Lawrence questioning his own throughout the movie's two-hour runtime.  Some may not agree with how I see it, but let's be clear.  I'm not as big of a religious person as everyone else.

However, I will agree with everyone that "Conclave" was undoubtedly a riveting talent showcase for the main cast and even Edward Berger himself.  Berger is another filmmaker who uses their craftsmanship and vision to turn the seemingly slow-burn sequences into attention-grabbing and dramatic pieces of artistry.  This was elevated profoundly by Stéphane Fontaine's cinematography, which beautifully captured the backgrounds and humane character moments with wide-angle shots, and Volker Bertelmann's striking score.  As mentioned, I don't mind dialogue-driven thrillers as long as their conversations outside the action have something worth getting attached to regarding the stories and character depth.  Fortunately, Edward Berger understood this assignment, as he made almost every subtle conversation between the characters as gripping as a knife fight without overstraining its absurdity and pace.  Regarding its main cast, Ralph Fiennes continues to be a phenomenal actor by providing an authentically layered performance as Lawrence, especially in scenes where he mentally doubts his candidacy as the next pope.  Stanley Tucci was also terrific as Bellini, and Sergio Castellitto brought his A-game as Tedesco.  I would also credit Carlos Diehz for his impressive portrayal of archbishop Vincent Benitez, especially in the film's climax, making him one of the bright spots of the supporting cast.

Overall, "Conclave" provides a hefty amount of faith in its craft and cast to deliver an innovative and riveting source of religious entertainment.  Regarding its slow-burn appeal, the film's pacing could be a turn-off for those preferring action-packed thrills instead of dialogue-driven ones.  It's also not without some moments that were deemed "campy".  However, the movie is still a remarkable and well-crafted thriller that boasts enough talent and thematic essence to be worthy of our cinematic beliefs.  The cast delivered fantastic performances, including Fiennes, whose humane and subtle spark in his acting could earn him a spot at the Oscars.  As for Edward Berger, the filmmaker has undoubtedly impressed me with his ability to inject life and tension into the film's understated drama.  But, I believe it would be mostly recognized for its cinematography regarding the technical aspects, which is sublime for its wide-angle shots and majestic presentation.  If you're into dialogue-driven thrillers, this movie is certainly worth putting your faith in.

A-