Explores Political Conspiracies and Taboo-Breaking Secrets At The Papal Conclave

RATING – ⭐⭐⭐ 3/5*

Conclave Review Movie Talkies:

Edward Berger directs a political thriller set at the papal conclave. Now, what is the papal conclave? The papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect the Bishop of Rome, aka the Pope, which is somewhat similar to what we call an election. Just like our general elections, there are many political conspiracies in the conclave. The forms differ, and the severity varies too, but the gist is quite similar. Berger explores all those possible conspiracies, political tricks, turnaround moments, and more, adding a sensitive topic that might still be taboo in such a religious setup. Is it worth it? Yes, I’d say. But is it engaging? I’d say no.  

The film begins with the death of one of the popes at the College of Cardinals, caused by a heart attack. The dean of the college, Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), convokes the election of the pope’s successor and then begins the search for the new pope and the political arrangements made by the ambitious candidates. The four leading candidates are Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) from the United States, a liberal in the vein of the late pope; Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) from Nigeria, a social conservative; Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) from Canada, a moderate; and Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) from Italy, a staunch traditionalist. The last-minute arrival of Archbishop Vincent Benitez of Kabul, Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), surprises everyone. Who will win?  

I’d like to begin with the positives: the film looks very sensitive and powerful at moments, such as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence’s speech about uncertainty, Cardinal Benitez’s brief speech about war, and then his final conversation with Lawrence, along with all the voting ballot-counting scenes and the impactful blast scene. Despite that, the film loses its grip due to its overly slow screenplay. At certain moments, it feels like the film is stuck, forcing a one-minute scene into becoming a five-minute one. The funny thing is, you already know how it’s going to end. It’s that predictable and yet slow. Any film that loses its grip every 15 minutes like this shouldn’t be pardoned at all. It’s a significant flaw, and it makes for a tedious two-hour film. If they had condensed it into 90 minutes, the impact would have been different and much more powerful. The sensitivity holds you together, but the political theories and conflicts feel too bland and ordinary. An illicit affair, sexual intrigue, traditionalism, and liberalism aren’t that special anymore. They should have realized that. This may be excused because it’s new for the papal world, but as a viewer, it doesn’t strike the right chords.

Performance-wise, it’s a decent show with Ralph Fiennes leading and ending up with most of the important scenes. Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Lucian Msamati have done a decent job in the supporting roles. Carlos Diez may appear for a short time and go unnoticed in the beginning, but you’ll vouch for him after seeing those expressions in the final scene. Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes was good enough, Sergio Castellitto as a traditionalist was fine, and solid support from Merab Ninidze, Thomas Loibl, and others carried the show well.

Conclave has some beautiful frames captured by the cinematographer (Stéphane Fontaine) and a smooth score. The other technical aspects don’t matter much here, and the visual effects are only used in that blast scene. The editing could have been better, as it’s really painful to see such a good and sensitive subject becoming tedious due to its overly lengthy narrative. Edward Berger does enough justice to Robert Harris’s original work, but I think the product lacks that universal appeal. It might look great to those with knowledge about the pope, Roman culture, and theism, but others may not find it that interesting—especially Indians. Overall, a fine attempt that could have avoided functioning as a sleeping pill.