Let the shameless Oscar bait begin with “Conclave” (2024), a faithful adaptation of a Robert Harris novel, starring Ralph Fiennes as Dean Thomas Lawrence of the College of Cardinals, who would prefer to have less responsibility, but is tasked with overseeing the papal conclave to select the next pope. With tons of twists and turns, Lawrence must wrestle with his grief, suspicions and doubts. Will the right Pope be chosen?
I have been a fan of Ralph Fiennes since “Quiz Show” (1994). Well, “Schindler’s List” (1993), but he played a sadistic Nazi commandant, and who wants to be remembered for that kind of role. Well, as Lawrence, Fiennes will not have to worry about that. His famous downturned mouth and predominantly dour onscreen demeanor are ideal for the tortured cardinal protagonist. Not permitted anytime to process the sudden death of a person whom he loves and with almost no privacy, Lawrence must hit the ground running and safeguard the church’s future. Though a rare treat, Fiennes is also deft at playing more humorous roles, and Fiennes’ timing offers an almost indiscernible dry wit that makes “Conclave” a funnier movie than expected for a film with such a somber veneer.
To the surprise of no one, a bunch of men immersed in ornate pageantry can be a bunch of catty, gossiping little bitches more suitable for a high school cafeteria than the most secret, exclusive confines in Rome. While it is probably not a coincidence that a Pope selection by vote coincides with the timing of the US’ Presidential election and ostensibly has a message about how to choose people when casting your ballot, it never loses sight of the fact that a movie must be entertaining. I’m talking to you, “Rumours” (2024)! Lawrence is like the detective responsible for unraveling a mystery and gets the moral authority to dive into everyone’s business without being accused of being a messy bitch though a couple of characters accuse him of self-serving manipulation on Dick Cheney levels; however, the movie goer has the benefit of seeing how he is casting his vote, actively campaigning for his favorite character and trying to get out of the job. There were times when I wondered if he was lying to himself, but the fact that he is the only cardinal who talks about God more than factions, it is a good sign that he is a straight arrow. He is torn between wanting to make the best decision and obeying the rules, but if he does the latter, the prior cannot be accomplished. Monsignor Raymond O’Malley (terrific character actor Brian F. O’Bryne, think a non-sassy Denis O’Hare) functions as Lawrence’s eyes and ears.
His closest friend/work colleague and the former Pope’s confidante and Secretary of State, Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), is the Bernie of the group. He is unflinching about his liberal stance and denies wanting the position but uses inflamed rhetoric and cares more about making sure that Cardinal Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) does not get on the throne. Tedesco is the Presidon’t of the bunch who misses the good old Latin mass days and would prefer to rewind the clock prior to the Second Vatican Council. He makes racist implications against the increase of African Cardinals and stops short of saying that he misses the Crusades. Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (an understated John Lithgow), a bureaucrat whose actions give the impression of being power hungry, never stops professing his innocence even when he seems to be caught redheaded. The movie never indicates whether the deceased Pope just set up so his preferred pick could get the job. Cardinal Joseph Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) appears to be in the lead, and after Lawrence, most interested in the spiritual side of his job, but is a known homophobic candidate and may have skeletons in his closet. Sister Agnes (Isabella Rosselini) may have the goods on both men. Then there is dark horse Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), the Pope’s secret cardinal who actively worked in war torn areas like Kabul, who functions as Lawrence’s unofficial counselor.
While “Conclave” will result in pearl clutching and horror over the treatment of the Catholic Church, the heart of this thriller is deeply old-fashioned in a seventies way with professionals completely devoted to their job 24/7 with a deep, latent faith in the institution and trust in the process. Director Edward Berger is reverential and meticulous in the way that he visually dissects and depicts the pomp and circumstance of this election. If anyone has any doubts, a terrorist attack becomes a contemporary act of God through the hands of evil men to inject light and air into the proceedings as if the Holy Spirit needed to reenter the temple so the Cardinals could make the right decision. A clever person of faith would love this movie because it depicts a world where the Pope (Bruno Novelli) is an infallible visionary and puppet master beyond the grave, and imperfect men are still capable of hearing and obeying God’s word. It is not going to happen, but it should because that is what people of faith are supposed to believe. Instead, they will be scandalized as the religious authorities were when Jesus had a physical body that trod the earth.
It seemed obvious to me who would win based on one nominee’s prayer. One constant, but rarely verbalized theme is the role of women in the church. All the Cardinals get to enjoy their fancy meals because an army of nuns handle all the practical logistics. The men do not have to lift a finger, and they mostly do not notice them unless the nuns want to be noticed. While I did not precisely guess the winner’s secret, I was in the right ballpark.
If “Conclave” has a flaw, it is impeccably crafted except in one way. The lighting on Black skin sucked and was not rich in texture. I know that lighting for optimal color is hard with so many colors to balance, but a movie of this high quality should be able to do it. Cardinal Adeyemi was almost rendered invisible in the dying pope’s tenebrous chambers Also, I noticed that when characters spoke in Italian, Cardinal Adeyemi’s name rarely was in the subtitles. It is a bit frustrating because as a movie reviewer, there is no guarantee that IMDb will have the complete name listed, and I know that as an ignorant American, I would not necessarily nail the spelling of a Nigerian family name, so I was waiting for it, and it did not happen for a long time. For a leading candidate, his framing was more obscured until his story was in focus in comparison to his foil, Tremblay. It could be because Lithgow is a bigger star than Msamati, but the lighting struck me from the opening scene since I could barely discern his features, so I got hyper focused as the movie unfolded. While film is a visual medium, I prioritize narrative, so it did not affect my enjoyment, but as someone who does not typically belabor these details, it was pretty glaring for me to notice.
While “Conclave” will probably strain itself with self-congratulatory pats on the back for being so daring and (almost) visually perfect, it is a fun, dishy movie that is supposed to soothe us and let us know everything will work out. If only real-life was as perfectly stylized to have a pat happy ending: a candidate whose only scandal is being himself.
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So if people find “Conclave” offended and think it is a projection of outsider contemporary values on a religious institution, it almost feels like a retelling of a thirteenth century legend, which many Catholics believed, that one of the popes, Pope Joan, was actually a woman. So get a time machine to lodge your complaints because Harris and Berger are not the first people who think that the Catholic Church can be reformed through subterfuge and tokenism.
