By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Many critics would have you believe this is an Oscar contender for Best Picture, and it certainly exhibits the kind of qualities Academy voters like, but this film has a fatal flaw that should keep it off the red carpet. “Conclave” is not just another religious themed movie; it is more of a political/espionage type of thriller with Catholicism as the backdrop. Despite the heavy-handed messaging, there is plenty to enjoy from this riveting storyline.
The pope has died. Unable to process and grieve the loss of his friend, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is charged with the unenviable task of leading the conclave in immediately selecting a new pope. Over 100 cardinals from across the world gather and sequester in Vatican City until a new pope is elected by a two-thirds supermajority vote. There are those who covet the opportunity to be the most influential religious figure in the world like Cardinals Tremblay (John Lithgow), Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), and others like Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), who only want the title to avoid the Church from going backwards.
The appearance of a previously unknown cardinal by the name of Benitez (Carlos Diehz) unnerves the congregation and sets the stage for more surprises to come. As the voting commences, sides are formed, and the frontrunners are made clear. However, Lawrence uncovers secrets, plots, and conspiracies that threaten not only the results of the election, but also the Roman Catholic Church itself.
German director Edward Berger made a big splash with “All Quiet on the Western Front” in 2022, which garnered 4 Oscars. He once again brings his clever filmmaking approach to “Conclave” with outstanding cinematography, sound, and a memorable score from Oscar winning composer Volker Bertelmann, who could very well earn another nomination with this film. The music fills the space between dialogue scenes and intensifies the suspense and mystery with a heavy use of string instruments.
Berger tackles the complex story, originally written as a best-selling novel by Robert Harris, with relative ease, balancing the multiple subplots and backstories seamlessly with good pacing and flow. The surprising twists and turns throughout alter the mundane subject matter of pope selection into a high-intrigue suspense thriller. Berger makes the mistake of one too many surprise reveals, turning the believable into over-the-top ridiculousness for the sole purpose of promoting a woke agenda. Combined with the timing of the release just before the presidential election, this creates an unnecessary polarizing effect that will alienate many people from enjoying an otherwise exciting movie.
The acting is top notch led by two-time Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes (“The English Patient” and “Schindler’s List”). Fiennes has the uncanny ability to relay exactly what his character is thinking without saying a word, through his eyes and subtle facial expressions. In fact, some of his best moments in this film are when he doesn’t have any dialogue and is in deep reflection. He carries a commanding screen presence that legitimizes his leadership type of role in “Conclave,” as his character carefully balances a curious investigative nature with obsessive truth seeking.
The supporting cast is equally impressive with standout performances from Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow, both of whom are also previous Oscar nominees. Here, they play rival cardinals vying for votes with self-serving political agendas. The real hidden star, however, is Isabella Rossellini, who portrays a nun that stays in the background but always observing, aware of the dark secrets among the power players. There are a couple of scenes in which she reveals her own power, standing toe-to-toe with the main characters, refusing to back down an inch. This gritty, determined performance may earn the veteran Italian actress her first Oscar nomination for supporting actress.
This is a film that will certainly ruffle religious feathers as well as political with its clear liberal messaging, so roughly half the population will appreciate it while the other half will condemn it. If you can overlook its proselytizing, “Conclave” will entertain with its dark underbelly of secrets. Might be better to wait until it is available via streaming, since it appears to only be drawing in crowds of the elderly to theaters, who kindly supply their own soundtrack of snoring and explanations of scenes to their hearing impaired companions.
This movie earns:
