Movie Review : Conclave

Amidst the fires in Los Angeles as well as the brutal cold and snow we have here on the East Coast, I took a break last night for two hours to watch the Pope drama Conclave starring Ralph Fiennes. I didn't know anything about this movie until I saw Ralph Fiennes on TikTok talking about being "very demure, very mindful," with Anderson Cooper on New Year's Eve. He was there to promote this film. Then I saw it in categories at the Golden Globes.

Conclave is a Pope and Cardinal filled mystery about electing a new Pope. How a conclave actually works is that when the current Pope passes on, all of the Catholic Cardinals from around the world gather in Rome. They attend a secret meeting in the Sistine Chapel in order to elect a new Pope. This election requires a two-third majority to elect a winner. The film details a fictionalized drama of this occurrence with back-stabbing, gossip, and intrigue.

In addition to Ralph Fiennes, the film also stars John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini. The film was directed by Edward Berger who also directed All Quiet on the Western Front. The film was shot by cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine. I point that out as the film is really lovely. There are so many shots that give a lovely portraiture to the film.

The film documents religious figures walking among marble. One of the reasons I wanted to watch the film was because I knew a conclave occurred in the Sistine Chapel. You cannot shoot in the Sistine Chapel. So I wanted to see how they replicated it on the famed stages of Cinecitta. I thought it came out well. It was also shot around Rome. The film did feel authentic, which added to the drama.

Actress Isabella Rossellini gives a master class in acting through her eyes and facial expressions. Her work is through what she DOESN'T say. It is powerful.

The film is good. It harkens back to the Ivory/Merchant films (Howard's End, A Room With A View) which found intrigue behind closed doors. The pace is slow but a lot is going on underneath the surface. When a conclave occurs, it is a closed door that morphs into a vault -- until the smoke clears to tell the world who has been chosen. I enjoyed it the film and thought it was well done. Bravo to Ralph Fiennes who really carries the film and does a nice job letting his character evolve.