Conclave: LFF Film Review
Conclave sounds very dull and dry on paper and I probably wouldn’t have seen it if it wasn’t for the word-of-mouth praise. But everyone was right – there is nothing dull or dry about this riveting thriller.
The Pope has died and now the cardinals have to convene to vote on who should become the new head of the Catholic Church. As Dean of the College of Cardinals, Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is charged with organising the election and helping appoint the successor. The cardinals have to be sequestered for days until one of them secures a majority. In between the rounds of voting, secrets about various cardinals emerge that may threaten their chance at the papacy.
I did not think I’d be that interested in a meeting of cardinals. It sounds so stuffy and boring and it could have been in a different set of hands. But with Peter Straughan‘s well-written screenplay and Edward Berger‘s spot-on direction, this is gripping and compelling throughout. I didn’t know anything about the pope election process so that was interesting in itself but this film takes so many twists and turns and goes to unpredictable, shocking places.
The most surprising element was its sense of humour. Who knew this would be so funny?! It’s not a comedy by any means but I laughed out loud a handful of times. I also couldn’t help but chuckle seeing cardinals vaping, smoking or scrolling through their phones. I just never imagined these high-ranking religious men to partake in such common, modern behaviours.
Fiennes is always brilliant in everything he’s in so naturally he’s terrific as Cardinal Lawrence. He’s such an interesting character because you don’t really know if he’s trustworthy. They’re supposed to be sequestered to stop information influencing the election but Lawrence keeps receiving dirt on the cardinals that ruins their chances. The excellent supporting cast includes Isabella Rossellini in a small but effective role, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Carlos Diehz.
Conclave is a wildly engrossing film that held my attention throughout. After this and All Quiet on the Western Front, I can’t wait to see what Berger does next.
Seen at the London Film Festival. In cinemas from Friday 29th November