Written by: Peter Straughan
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini
Rating: [4.5/5]
Power’s seductive pull evades no one, no matter the level of selflessness one professes to possess. Its attributes offer far too much where even the individuals whose entire vocation revolves around living modestly will get into uproarious discussions about who should wield it as seen in the election process of selecting a Pope in Conclave. Delivering as thrilling an experience as a papal election could possibly provide, this film thrives in exploring its characters’ ethical complexities, theological ideologies, and personal grievances.
With the passing of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), entrusted with shepherding the election to find the next one, gathers cardinals from all over the world. As they all bar themselves in to avoid any outside influences finding their way to their premises, Lawrence must contend with the different factions and the reality of some coalescing happening in order for someone to get the majority necessary to be elected as Pope.
Expertly crafted and incredibly well-acted, Conclave exists as one of those films that has an extremely middle-brow story but one that gets pieced together so exceptionally it feels revelatory. A film centering on electing a new pope with a bunch of old men stuck in a confined area relies heavily on a sharp screenplay, strong acting, and assured direction to add some visual dynamism and luckily we received just that. This feature film serves as yet another win for Edward Berger since making his big splash on the scene for most people with 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front.
As the conclave begins, four individuals primarily stand out as contenders with Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), and Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) all having different positions on how they would lead the church. Bellini would continue in the same progressive way as the recently deceased Pope while Tedesco runs as a traditionalist seeking to revert to a better time, at least in his eyes, for the Catholic Church. As one can imagine, plenty of scheming and campaigning transpires as these individuals rally support to their side, especially because one of them needs a two-thirds majority of all the cardinals. A high bar to clear, and yet one they must reach.
An intriguing nugget about this film comes from its rating. Not often do dramas nowadays come with a PG rating, as there’s usually something that will bump it at the very least to a PG-13 rating for something as simple as language. However, this serves as a credit to Berger and screenwriter Peter Straughan where they allowed any salaciousness to be fairly mild and sat with the reality that these are men of the cloth within the Sistine Chapel. They may raise their voice, but they would not curse and rant with any language deemed unbecoming. It refuses to allow this film to lose its grip on what it really means for a conclave to transpire, which allows the actual controversies occurring in the film to carry much more weight in the implications they carry for those vying for the top position.
Even as bad blood gets shared and bad faith politicking, Conclave maintains the soul of these characters that even with the quest for power, they are still brothers. One particular scene Cardinal Lawrence shares with another cardinal, who just found out the impossibility of becoming the Pope where they just sit and pray together carries this beauty to it. A beauty where no matter what issues may arise between these characters, they are all still ultimately on the same side. Sure, they may disagree in the direction the church should take in guiding its flock but ultimately they will still pray with and for each other.
As vote after vote transpires with no one getting the required figure, coalescing begins to naturally occur and watching Cardinal Lawrence navigate it all in a job he never wanted but was placed upon allows for quite the character arc. This character serves as the main conduit for the resounding message of the story of being aware of those who seek power. The man continually says he does not want his name thrown in the ring as a contender, but the story plays out, it becomes ever clearer that something deep inside of him would want to take on the position of Pope. Obviously, being a cardinal puts you one a step away from the highest position in the Catholic Church, all but guaranteeing that it must slip through each of those individuals’ minds that they could possibly one day become one of the most powerful people in all of the world.
In the lead role, we have Ralph Fiennes putting on an unsurprisingly strong performance as Cardinal Lawrence, where you can see the stress on the man’s face. He gets helped on by a great ensemble of Cardinals who each have their small moments to shine, especially when they find themselves in the lead of the vote-counting. While not the biggest names in the cast like Tucci, Lithgow, and Rossellini, I would love to give some love to Lucian Msamati as Cardinal Adeyemi, the man who could potentially become the first African Pope. The journey this character goes through runs the gamut and we feel for him even if we disagree on what he would do if he ascended to the position he seeks. Sergio Castellitto as the brash Cardinal Tedesco ruled as he vaped wherever he wanted in the Sistine Chapel but Carlos Diehz as Cardinal Benitez stole the show in his quiet presence in the story that obviously will grow as the narrative continues.
A tight, tense, and entertaining tale, Conclave confines these characters together to work out what issues they have to try and find one of them to ascend to the papacy. The search for power runs within each of them with different factions vying for who they deem fit to lead the Church in the proper way. Pragmatism and idealism clash on many occasions with some fascinating reveals and character moments, making this such a delectable film to experience and enjoy.
Films with Josh 
