Opening in theaters across USA the movie Conclave, about the death of a Pope, provides some excellent performances, but overplays its hand. Not based on a true story, the writers put together a work of fiction that delves into the political underpinning of the Vatican. Very compelling throughout, the payoff however leaves a lot to be desired.
The film opens on the deathbed of a fictional Pope lying in the bed and his attendant Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) at his side. Cardinal Lawrence stands witness and calls together Cardinals from all over the world. They arrive and start the voting that will have to decide who among them will be the next Pope. Secretive, each vote cast is then burned black or white to let the people of the world know if one has been chosen. During several days the vote and those wishing to become the most famous person in the world, faces dispute and pressure until the final outcome.
Writers Peter Straughan (who wrote the espionage script for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”) and Robert Harris (who penned the script for “An Officer and a Spy”) collaborated on Conclave. They did an excellent job of establishing the characters with the talent such as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini. There performances were so good, there’s a viable chance for Oscar nominations. However, in what I think is a fatal mistake in their script, a twist destroys the excellent ending that they already had.
Conclave has been rated PG for thematic material and smoking. The film mainly targets those of the Catholic faith or movie goers that have interest in the politics of choosing a Pope. The film gets stamped a Thriller, but in my estimation it’s more of a pretentious Melodrama.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Bruno Novelli
Directed by: Edward Berger
Genre: Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG for thematic material and smoking.
Running Time: 2 hrs.
Opening Date: 10-25-24
Distributed by: Focus Features
Released in: Theaters
