Conclave - Review

Rating: 4 out of 5

THE arrival of papal drama Conclave on Prime couldn’t be more timely given the death of real-life Pope Francis on Easter Monday, which put the events it depicts into sharper focus.

But then Edward Berger’s film - which marks his follow-up to his Oscar-winning All Quiet On The Western Front - was always timely, given the way in which it tackles notions of faith, human fallibility, corruption and acceptance.

Based on the page-turning novel of the same name by Robert Harris, Conclave emerges as a high-class piece of cinema, benefiting not just from Berger’s direction, but also Peter Straughn’s screenplay (which brings the same level of articulate intelligence that he did to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) as well as a first-rate cast led by an Oscar nominated Ralph Fiennes and also including Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini and Sergio Castellitto. It’s an embarrassment of riches.

The story picks up in the wake of the death of the sitting pope, as the various cardinals convene to enter a conclave and elect a successor. Overseeing them is cardinal Lawrence (Fiennes), a veteran on the verge of quitting, who must put aside his crisis of prayer to ensure a fair electoral process.

But while Lawrence aligns with progressive candidate and friend Bellini (Tucci), whose views echo the liberalism of the deceased pope, they both face competition from the more traditional, and bigoted, likes of the Italian Tedesco (Castellitto), who is resolutely opposed to any opposing faiths, the scheming (and possibly corrupt) American Tremblay (Lithgow), the popular Nigerian Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) and mysterious contender Benitez (Carlos Diehz), who has been working in Kabul.

The ensuing drama plays out like a tense game of political chess, with revelations coming thick and fast about motivations, deceptions and hidden secrets… all of which cast doubt on the validity of each individual claim at a time when the Catholic Church can ill afford any more scandals or loss of trust.

Berger slow builds the tension, while allowing plenty of room for ideology and rumination, and asking questions not just of his characters but also of the audience.

Hence, there’s thoughtful debate on sexuality and acceptance (never better realised than in Rossellini’s sensational takedown of men) as well as tolerance (of faith and individuality), power, corruption and human frailty (and the role of forgiveness within that). All of the points feel relevant in the current political context, in which division and discrimination seem to have become the order of the day.

But while seemingly acknowledging this, Straughn’s screenplay also takes aim at Catholicism itself and the role and relevance of the church. If anything, it errs towards the optimistic in its view of liberalism and progressiveness, while still acknowledging past failings and misdeeds.

As such, it creates room for plenty of lively debate afterwards.

And it provides plenty for his cast to get stuck into, with Fiennes especially outstanding as the conflicted moral centre, navigating a path between his own crisis of faith and the competing views of his peers. It’s an unshowy, quiet performance in many ways - but all the more nuanced and thoughtful for it.

The likes of Tucci, Lithgow and Rossellini are afforded more time to grandstand and all get moments to steal the odd scene, by way of confrontation with Lawrence, but this only adds to the joy of watching. These are great actors being allowed to be great.

A twist ending also ensures that Conclave ends on a provocative and striking note, leaving viewers with plenty to mull over, while also - quite possibly- opening a window into their own souls.