Conclave - Movie Review

Critics Score - 8 of 10

General Audience Score - 8 of 10

If you were raised Catholic, you’re probably more familiar with the papacy and the process of selecting a new Pope anytime the existing Pope passes away. For those of us that weren’t raised Catholic, that whole process is somewhat of a mystery unless you have a particular interest in studying different religions and things like that. The new movie Conclave from Focus Features stars Ralph Fiennes and is directed by Edward Berger, the same man who directed the incredible remake of the WW1 film, All Quiet On The Western Front. All Quiet got numerous Oscar nominations, his new movie Conclave will almost certainly get a Best Picture nomination along with some other technical notices. I say that simply as a general reference to the films quality. Conclave refers to the lockdown mode the Vatican essentially goes into where all the windows and doors are shut, none of the voting members go out until a new Pope is selected. Ralph Fiennes helms the ship and does a fantastic job as a Cardinal struggling with a crisis of faith while suddenly leading an assembly who have to vote on a new Pope. I won’t oversell this movie, but it is easily among the most thrilling and compelling films of the year, it’s editing is stellar and the resulting pace pushes the film forward at near breakneck speed. This is going to be a critical darling but also one that will fascinate audiences of all kinds. Even those not Catholic, like myself, will find the inner workings of this religious tradition quite amazing. So head to the cinemas this fall, you won’t mind it if all the theatre doors and exits are locked once this Conclave gets rolling.

SYNOPSIS - We enter this recreation of what happens behind the walls of the Vatican with a tracking shot of Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) walking down the streets of Rome, we see only his head and upper back from behind. His white collar is visible around his neck, sticking out from above his long black coat, he walks through a tunnel with cars passing to the right. As we follow him through the streets and eventually onto an elevator we see his hand gripping and squeezing his small red cap that cardinals wear, he reaches up and puts the cap on. As the shot changes, we see his forehead only, his head is tilted downwards away from us, as he stares towards the floor. The camera doesn’t allow us to see his full face yet via the camera angles utilized, we simply read this man’s body language. What we glean from it along with the foreboding and ominous violin work from the score which has already kicked in, has the immediate impact of creating a sense of tension and doom. Cardinal Lawrence finally walks down a hallway with many other cardinals in it and into a room at the end, an old man lays on his back in bed, dressed in red and white with white sheets over his lower body. It is the current Pope, he is deceased. As Lawrence enters the room and kneels down beside the bed, we hear another Cardinal speaking something in Latin. Lawrence looks over at Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) who meets his eyes for a moment before looking back down at the former Pope. The Cardinal praying in Latin continues as Lawrence looks down at the nightstand beside him and observes some reading glasses laid on an open Bible sitting, a thermometer as well.

We watch as the Pope’s signet ring is removed and its stamp or seal is destroyed, therefore no one can forge any official documents with it. Another man, Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) recites more Latin before saying, “The throne of the holy see . . . is vacant.” The camera lingers on Lawrence, a solemn and mournful expression on his face, tears stream from his eyes. Out in another room Bellini sits next to a chess board, the pieces moved, appearing as if a game had been stopped midway through. Lawrence approaches and Bellini asks him if anyone would mind if he took the game as a keepsake. He encourages Bellini to take it, the Pope would’ve wanted him to have it. Lawrence asks if Bellini knows what happens and he responds it was a heart attack. 

The scene cuts and we see as Lawrence sits down with another Cardinal who discovered the Pope’s body, he explains that he will need to prepare a statement about exactly what happened and begins to ask him questions about the event. The Cardinal explains that he would’ve called them earlier but held off on contacting him, then stops speaking and raises his eyes with uncertainty, looking to Tremblay. Tremblay steps forward into the room and apologizes to Lawrence explaining, “I know his holiness had no colleagues closer than you and Aldo (Bellini), but I asked Yannish to hold off calling you, I wanted to ascertain all the facts. You know how rumor spreads.” Lawrence takes a packet of documents Tremblay offers to him with a timeline that he has prepared along with the Pope’s medical records. Bellini looks over to Lawrence with a look of vague suspicion.

Another Cardinal named Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), who had delivered the prayer in Latin previously mentioned, chimes in with, “Well Dean (Lawrence), it seems the responsibility for the Conclave, falls upon you”, as a white cloth is laid across the Pope’s face. We watch as the body is removed, the room is sealed off and as the body bag jostles around on the stretcher as it’s driven away, the films title flashes on screen. Finally we see the words “Three Weeks Later Eve Of Conclave” appear. Lawrence is preparing things for the upcoming meeting, with many Cardinals and nuns coming together from all over the world to allow the event to take place. As the Conclave begins, the procedural aspects of the event prove to be as fascinating as the political tug of war game that ensues. This combination of elements, along with the way the director utilizes the films technical aspects, sucks the viewer in like a moth to a flame. As various rounds of voting take place and different Cardinals try and gain favor among their contemporaries to make a run at the papacy, this game of political intrigue twists and turns us towards an absolutely thrilling conclusion.

Mark my words, Edward Berger will be 2 for 2 with his films getting Oscar Best Picture nominations come January when this years nominations are announced. His work as a director is near stellar here as well, he crafts this story into a tightly woven narrative that moves through its material so smoothly, even at a two hour runtime, you’re locked in for the duration. No pun intended. Alongside his direction is the excellent script by Peter Straughan, its well crafted twists and turns only add to the superb intrigue the film creates as to how this will all get resolved. I will say the one final reveal is a bit much, I felt after everything the film throws at them being able to select a new Pope, the one final twist was a bit over the top to be considered realistic. But that’s a fairly minor detail and is easily forgiven. As I mentioned earlier, the editing will probably be nominated for an Academy Award, the resulting pace is excellent. The production design is very good as well, though maybe not quite as impressive as the other recent Netflix movie about the Vatican, The Two Popes. As far as the films original score by Volker Bertelmann, it’s another excellent technical achievement, it adds an element of mystery and ominous dread with is tight violin strumming and contrasting drum beats. Ralph Fiennes and Stanley Tucci are leading the charge here in terms of acting. Both their performances are great, but this is an excellent ensemble piece as well, with so many great actors throwing in great moments and scenes of their own through the runtime. With so many elements of this film working at such a high level, it’s unsurprising how enjoyable it plays for all audiences. This one may or may not land in my top 10 films of the year. I kind of doubt it because I’ve still got some big ticket movies to catch, but don’t let that dissuade you from checking out this truly excellent film, it’s top tier cinema.

SUMMARY - There are some films that are great for critics but too artsy for general audiences and others that make massive amounts of money at the box office but lack much in the way of creativity and originality to be beloved by critics. Few films thread the needle of pleasing both as well as this movie does, you’re more than likely to have a ball getting stuck in this Conclave.