By Seb Jenkins - November 11, 2024
Game of Thrones meets Gossip Girl in the Vatican as Ralph Fiennes leads the search for the next Pope.
A conclave – by definition – is a private meeting, shut off from the outside world. Yet, Edward Berger’s adaptation of the hit Robert Harris novel deserves to be viewed en masse. Just like the 2016 page-turner, Conclave grips you from the opening scene to the rolling of the credits, and the route from A to B undoubtedly uses the road-less-travelled. A mystery thriller with a salacious bow tied on top, Conclave is not afraid to make a real statement or two along the way. It comes as no surprise that the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica are already ringing with Oscar endorsements for Ralph Fiennes too – this one is a real treat!
The concept of Conclave is simple. After the passing of the standing Pope, the College of Cardinals gathers for a papal conclave to select his successor – led by the Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). In between canteen cliques and playground gossiping, the 120 Cardinals gather to cast their votes over and over again until one candidate receives a two-thirds majority.
Once the dust settles, six main candidates rise to the top. Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) – an American liberal who wants to modernise the church with progressive views on women and homosexuals. Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) – an Italian traditionalist and a bigot, everything Bellini and his supporters stand against. Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) – a popular Canadian who also happens to be the last person to see the Pope alive. Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) – a Nigerian conservative with a controversial past. Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) – who claims to have been made a Cardinal by the late Pope in secret. And finally, despite being adamant in his desire to avoid the position altogether, Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence himself. What follows is somewhere between a Cardinal conclave and the 2024 version of Pope Idol.
Conclave feels like a hit thriller novel adaptation at its very core – and in all the best ways. Full of twists, turns, and cliffhangers designed to lure your finger to the next chapter, Edward Berger (director) and Peter Straughan (screenwriter) do the story justice and more. As Thomas Lawrence begins to unearth some worrying home truths about his fellow Cardinals, he takes it upon himself to pull at the thread, no matter where it may lead through the whispering corridors of the Vatican. While Conclave cannot claim to be a Murder on the Vatican Express, it is undoubtedly a mystery-thriller through and through, even if the lead detective is rather unwilling in his duties. Lawrence himself claims that a good Pope sees the ‘doubt amidst certainties’ and it is that doubt that propels his investigation into potential Cardinal sins.
Although entertainment always feels at the forefront, it is certainly not afraid to make a statement along the way. Not only is there a running theme of Conservative vs Liberal through the 120 minutes of screen time, but also more specific commentary on society, politics, misogyny, and religion as a whole. Mere days after Donald Trump was elected the new President of the United States, Lawrence and Bellini even discuss the necessity to choose the ‘least worst option’. Isabella Rossellini steals every scene in which she appears as the matter-of-fact Sister Agnes – an important nod towards the forgotten and restrictive role of women in the church. Perhaps the most interesting point raised in Conclave comes from the archaic Tedesco – can new ideas be so progressive that they completely erase the source material, creating a new religion entirely?
Conclave is littered with star power; it seems almost greedy. Ralph Fiennes seems destined to be in the Oscar discussions for 2025, perfectly balancing the stoicism and suspense required to shoulder the burden of such a powerhouse picture. Although Lawrence is the epitome of self-doubt, Fiennes looks as though he was born to glide around the Vatican solving crimes. Stanley Tucci expertly portrays a man caught between duty and desire, while John Lithgow remains as commanding as ever.
Game of Thrones meets Gossip Girl is certainly an over exaggeration and doesn’t do justice to the intracity of the Conclave web – but that’s exactly what it feels like to watch. The beat of the drums and screeching of violins put you in a sense of unease from the very first minute, before you even know why you should feel uneasy. Conclave definitely carries a serious message, and the twist will certainly provoke a gluttony of controversy – but it is undoubtedly a serious message wrapped in salacious gotcha moments… and we love it!
Just one question remains – who will win the Pope-ular vote?
XOXO – Cardinal Dean
Conclave releases in UK cinemas November 29
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