By Charles Kirkland Jr.
When the Pope is found dead, the objective is clear: find a replacement for the good of the Catholic church in the thriller, Conclave.
The Pope is dead. Little did he know when the Pope refused his resignation that Cardinal Lawrence, the dean of the Vatican would be the center of attention as he presides over all the matters regarding the conclave, the process and procedures by which the cardinals select the new Holy See. The unassuming cardinal finds becoming more of a detective, trying to solve controversies and putting out fires inside and outside the Vatican all while guiding the voting cardinals toward the decision that serves God and his church.
Peter Straughan wrote the screenplay for Conclave based on the book of the same name written by Robert Harris. The movie stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Brian F. O’Byrne, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz, and Isabella Rossellini. Oscar directs the film-nominated director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front).
In 2019, The Two Popes gave viewers a look into the selection process for a new Pope. It was a character study focused on two candidates and their differing ideas on the direction of the church.
Conclave picks up where that movie left off and ramps up the drama between multiple opposing forces vying for the position of Pope. On one side is Cardinal Tedesco, a cardinal who is against the progressive ideas of the inclusion of other races and the omission of Latin as the primary language for the church. On the other side is Cardinal Bellini, a man who says that he does not want the position except to keep Tedesco out and keep the church from going backward. In between is Cardinal Adeyemi who is vying to be the first Pope of color and Cardinal Tremblay who seems to want the job just to be the Pope.
Besides all the politics involved in the platforms of all the men who want to be elected, there are mysteries surrounding several of the candidates that seem to jeopardize their eligibility and seem to illustrate deeply deceptive tactics that a man will undertake to acquire one of the most revered positions in the world. Despite all the efforts of Cardinal Lawrence to ensure that the process is above reproach, it seems that God himself has to intervene to keep the election in order.
The acting in the film is above reproach. Isabella Rossellini plays Sister Agnes, the head nun. It is a small role but vitally important to the uncovering and exposing of impropriety among the Cardinals. Rossellini displays an intense skill in bringing the role significance and importance despite the lack of screen time. Ralph Fiennes is great at playing the conflicted Cardinal thrust into the depths of a Philip Marlowe-style neo-noir movie investigation complete with its complex and conflicted conclusion. Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Sergio Castellitto are all perfect foils for the story.
In the end, it is an excellent script coupled with an intensely smart direction that turns a movie that could have been a boring procedural into a complex, layered, and intriguing mystery thriller that rewards from beginning to end. Rated PG for thematic material and smoking, Conclave is a taut, suspenseful thriller that strikes at the heart of humanity, desire, and power, things that you would not expect to see in the men who are supposed to be ministers of God. Berger, Straughan, and Harris remind us of what Martin Luther tried to warn the church about in his thesis, that men are men imperfect and only God is truly holy.
Conclave can be seen in theaters on October 26, 2024.
Grade: A-