Film Review: "Conclave"

Edward Berger's new film is a marvelous, silly, and utterly compelling piece of filmmaking that shines a piercing light on the backroom dealings that go on during a papal election.

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I’m one of those people who has an abiding fondness for films (and TV shows) that focus on the ins and outs of politics, the backroom dealings and backbiting that are a part of all of the great organizations and institutions that govern our world. Whether or not they are strictly accurate in their depictions is often, to me at least, less important than the thrill offered by sumptuously-dressed people delivering withering remarks about one another’s politics or personal behavior or general demeanor.

When I first saw the trailer for the new film Conclave–based on the novel of the same name by Robert Harris–I knew at once that it was going to be one that I was going to have to see, in large part because it was going to hit so many of my sweet spots. People walking and talking about politics and religion? Check. Opulent clothes and the trappings of monarchy? Check. Scheming and manipulation in an effort to seize a crown? Check. Top-notch performances from heavy hitters like Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini? Check.

And so it proved to be. From the very first frame, in which we are introduced to Thomas Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a close intimate of the late Pope and the Dean of the College of Cardinals. In his role, it falls to him to organize the election of a new Holy Father. As he soon discovers, however, there are numerous hurdles standing in his way, not least the towering personalities of some of his fellow Cardinals. Adding to the tricky dynamics of the election is the revelation that the Holy Father secretly appointed yet another Cardinal, who has now shown up, threatening to throw the whole thing into even more chaos. With each round of voting, the stakes become higher, as the various factions within the Church are locked in a battle for their faith’s future.

Fiennes is at his very best in this role. He brings his usual gravitas to Cardinal Lawrence, his face bearing signs of a man who has struggled with his faith and with his place in the Church hierarchy. There’s a rich and at times haunting authenticity to Fiennes’ performance here, and from the moment we meet him it’s clear that here is someone who takes his duty to the Church quite seriously and will do everything he can to make sure that it keeps moving in the right direction. I also appreciated the precision which Fiennes brings to his performance here, as Lawrence tries to stage manage everything to perfection, only to find himself stymied at every turn.

At the same time, there is far more to Lawrence than his sober demeanor might suggest. On the one hand he claims that he has no interest in pursuing the position of Pope for himself even though, when it comes down to it, he’s not above deciding what his own name should be in the event that he wins election. On the other hand, moreover, he’s also quite willing to engage in a bit of manipulation when it comes down to it. He is, in other words, a remarkably complicated man, and while we’re never led to doubt the sincerity of his religious convictions, we also see the political ruthlessness lurking beneath his outward piousness. If he has to break into the late Pope’s apartments or subtly blackmail an arch-conservative Cardinal to back out of the election before gossip can destroy him, then that’s what he’ll do. The fact that he’s willing to offer genuine solace and comfort to the object of his blackmail just makes him all that much more fascinating and enigmatic as a character.

While Fiennes is the center around which the drama revolves, Conclave is positively bursting at the seams with talent. Stanley Tucci is intense yet charismatic as Aldo Cardinal Bellini, a man who, like Lawrence, is fierce in his convictions yet struggles to translate his passion into actual votes. Lithgow is, as always, a delight to watch as he sinks his teeth into the role of Cardinal Tremblay, who often thinks that he can bluster his way out of any difficulty, particularly those of his own making. Italian actor Sergio Castellitto is also more than a little terrifying as the arch-conservative Goffredo Cardinal Tedesco, whose fire and brimstone passion for the old ways are surprisingly seductive and convincing, and Lucian Msamati exuded a wounded dignity as Joshua Cardinal Adeyemi, whose own papal aspirations are throttled by Lawrence.

And then there’s the Isabella Rossellin of it all. One of the things that I’ve always loved and admired about the actress is her remarkable ability to make an absolute feast out of even the tiniest of roles. In Conclave she is Sister Agnes, whose role as a housekeeper essentially means she’s invisible…until she’s not. As she acidly remarks to the gathered Cardinals, she has eyes and ears, and she’s more than happy to use them when she needs to do so. She might not be on screen for very long, but every time she is you can’t take her eyes off of her. Rossellini’s star power shines as brightly as ever, and the film is better for having her in it.

The film is also compelling at a formal level, and there’s a meticulous attention to both mise-en-scene and sound design. We are almost invited to touch the fabrics of the Cardinals’ robes, and we wait with bated breath as their footsteps echo across the chambers through which they move. Though it might sound cliche, there were times when I almost felt as if I were actually there in the halls of the Vatican as the various cardinals desperately try to find someone who could occupy the Papacy.

Given that this is a political thriller, it’s hardly a surprise that there’s a twist at the end, though it’s one that not even the savviest of viewers will see coming. As with so many other aspects of the film the final revelation is one that forces Lawrence to take a harder, firmer look at his own faith and his more progressive principles. To be sure, some of the twists and turns of the plot verge on the silly or the ridiculous, but to me there’s always something pleasurable about a pot-boiler plot. You’re there for the serious performances and the propulsive force of the narrative and the pretty outfits; narrative coherence belongs on the backseat in a film like this one. 

There are times when Conclave paints with a very broad brush, particularly regarding the various Cardinals and their respective political positions. You always know where you stand in this film, particularly since Lawrence and his fellow liberals are steadfastly painted as the protagonists, even if their actions are sometimes questionable. However, given the extent to which some segments of the Catholic Church have gone out of their way to show how reactionary they are and how resistant to any sort of change, Cardinal Tedesco actually felt like a very realistic figure. 

In short, I was utterly captivated by Conclave. It’s one of those films that simply grabs hold of you from the first frame and won’t let you go until the very end. There’s a lot of absurdity, to be sure, but it’s also a thriller that has a heart and a soul and a brain. It will make you think about your own faith or lack thereof and, much like Cardinal Lawrence, I daresay you won’t come out of this film unchanged. 

And that, dear reader, is why I love the movies.