Conclave: Fiennes Shines, Plot's Hot til it's Not

04 Mar, 2025

After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one. Sequestered in the Vatican with the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders until the process is complete, Lawrence finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall.¹

The only time people watch films nominated for Oscars is in the weeks after the ceremony. I won’t be convinced otherwise.

I know you’re sick of awards season and glad it’s over, me too. But even I can’t help being subject to the not-so subliminal advertising of the whole dazzling ordeal.

Edward Berger’s papal drama is engaging and stylish with its stars being Ralph Fiennes and a well-worked script.

Berger’s direction is precise, consisting of static shots that evoke the frescoes of Conclave’s Vatican setting. The scarlet mass of cardinals, each cloaking their own ambitions in the same flowing cassocks. It makes for a beautiful visual metaphor.

Peter Straughan’s writing is engrossing. He propels the story ferociously, introducing new plot points in every other scene. It never feels tiring; the tension builds yet is released in a natural rhythm. It’s incredibly impressive. Combined with delightful, musical dialogue it turns each scene into a compelling battle of wills between power-hungry mortals.

There’s a strong cast of characters actors here each getting an opportunity to make a scene their own. John Lithgow is fantastic, as are Isabella Rossellini and Lucian Msmati. My favourite was Sergio Castellitto as the bigoted Carinal Tedesco, he plays a perfect hate-filled twat.

The one actor who doesn’t shine is Stanley Tucci, as the liberal Cardinal Bellini. He’s uneven and unassured, overplaying scenes in a manner that jars against the understated performances of his fellow cast members.

Fiennes is best by far. He presents a character whose moral dilemma weighs on him with subtle physicality. It made me feel tired watching him.

The third act is confusing. It goes off the rails, in a way that threatens to undermine the delicate message of the story. Many have commented on the validity of the final twist; does it make sense? Does it make a grand point about hypocrisies of certain electoral tactics or does it distract from a clever political allegory?

I’m undecided. What I will say is that the enigmatic Carlos Diehz plays the pivotal scene incredibly well.

Conclave unfortunately will not be a film discussed for many years to come. It sits firmly among a crop of well-made, solid pictures that become lost to the unstoppable tide of the Hollywood release calendar.

It’s a stimulating, attractive ‘men-in-rooms’ drama with an appealing aesthetic but its final act has cursed it to become a lost gem. Bold of me to say not a year after its release but with certain works you can tell. Straughan’s dialogue and plotting secured a deserved Oscar. Evidently, the voters enjoyed his bold choice of ending.

It’s a solid recommendation from me. Something to watch on a weeknight at home, too urbane to watch at the pictures.

I’m off to buy a cassock and an evil vape pen.

Enjoy? Why not Subscribe via email to keep up to date. Follow me on Bluesky or Letterboxd. If you're feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-fi.

#2024 #Drama #UK