When it comes to mystery thriller films, people are always hoping for gripping narratives with
high-stakes action sequences. These might include chase scenes, intense gunfights, or no
holds barred, physical brawling scenes. Some examples of this type include the likes of Dirty
Harry, The French Connection, and The Usual Suspects. Next, there are detective thrillers like
Se7en, Zodiac, and The Good Nurse, which try to solve a case. However, there are thrillers
such as Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct, and Gone Girl, which are more of an intense, erotic
nature between characters. Yet there is another kind of thriller that is quite popular: stories
where the main action comes from secrets being whispered in private while trying to keep
things under wraps. Just how dangerous can information be if an individual lets the secret out?

Such is the case with Conclave. This movie is based on the 2016 novel of the same name by
author Robert Harris. It the latest film from director Edward Berger, who directed the Oscar
winning World War I epic All Quiet on The Western Front. While this seems like a change of
pace, Berger has found a niche for himself in tight, intimate storytelling.

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Conclave begins with the death of the Pope. Almost immediately, the Catholic Church
announces his passing and begins the process of appointing the next pontiff. To make the
selection, a gathering for the College of Cardinals (or conclave, hence the title) is held to keep
the candidates in isolation until the new pope is officially declared. Nobody is allowed to
communicate with the outside world, all the windows are shuttered, and they are not allowed
the use of any electronic devices. All the cardinals have to come to a two-thirds majority of
votes in order to elect the next pope. The Vatican uses black smoke to inform the public that a
decision has not been reached, and white smoke is used when a candidate is chosen.

Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is the head of the selection committee. He’s having a major crisis of conflict- not about faith in God, but rather his support of the Church. Prior to the film’s events, Lawrence has been contemplating resigning and going into retirement. The only reason he remains in his position is because of his friendship with the late Pope, who encouraged him to stay. Despite this, Lawrence wonders if he has lost his sense of purpose. Furthermore, the Pope had brought a number of reforms to the Church, and Lawrence fears whoever is elected next might reverse said changes. His only real confidante outside of the conclave is Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), a nun in charge of catering and housekeeping.

As the conclave prepares to vote, a number of cardinals are vying for the job. Joshua Adeyemi
(Lucian Msamati) of Nigeria is one of the few black cardinals Cardinals in the Vatican, but he is
an openly social conservative-minded man in contrast to the late pontiff. Aldo Bellini (Stanley
Tucci) is an American cardinal who is a liberal who encourages changes and urges for reforms
with regards to LGBTQIA people and women. Although he insists he’s not worthy to be Pope,
Bellini has a list of ideas about how the Church could be improved. Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) is an Italian cardinal who's a firm, right-wing Catholic. Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow) of Canada is a moderate cardinal with the support of numerous traditional Catholics, but he seems very invested in the idea of winning the papal role for himself.

Further complicating things, a new cardinal named Benitez (Carlos Diehz) arrives to join the
conclave. He has been serving as a Bishop in Afghanistan before the late Pope appointed him
as a cardinal. Due to having served the Church in war-torn countries, Benitez knows what
human beings are capable of and urges for peaceful means to end fighting. His presence, kind
nature, and the circumstances of his appointment spark rumblings of discontent among the
cardinals, and many question whether he is truly being genuine. In time, Lawrence comes to
respect Benitez for his gentle, benevolent nature.

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After the first round of voting, it becomes apparent there is no solid winner, because a two
thirds majority has not come to pass. Undaunted, the cardinals caste their votes a second
time. While the liberal-leaning cardinals are split between Lawrence and Bellini, Cardinal
Adeyemi comes to gain a significant increase among conservative-minded voters. This puts
him at odds with Bellini, who dislikes Adeyemi for his blatantly homophobic attitude. Curiously,
Benitez is gaining a slow but steady number of supporters as the cardinals continue voting.

Things take an unexpected twist with a nun, Sister Shanumi (Balkissa Maiga) of Nigeria arrives
at the Vatican to confront Adeymi. When Lawrence questions Shanumi, it is revealed that she
had a secret relationship with Adeyemi that led to the birth of an illegitimate son thirty years
ago. The news of the illicit affair leave Lawrence shaken. He is also suspicious as to how
Shanumi was sent to the Vatican during the time of voting. With the help of Cardinal Bellini,
Lawrence begins to uncover church corruption within the conclave. It appears that someone
has been engaging in bribery and coercion, but who could it be? And what is the real deal
about Cardinal Benítez?

Ralph Fiennes shines in his nuanced, cerebral performance as Cardinal Lawrence. Having shot
to fame in the early 1990s playing sinister Nazi commandant Amon Goth in Schindler’s List, the
English actor managed to prove his versatility and avoid typecasting by starring as a sensitive
explorer in The English Patient, a suave businessman in Maid in Manhattan, and the straight
laced M of Daniel Craig’s James Bond series. Despite these examples, he returned to villainy
with his roles as Francis Dolarhyde in Red Dragon and the dreaded Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter franchise. In this film, he is both the anchor and the audience’s point-of-view in
navigating the process of a papal election. His difficulty in deciding whether to stay or resign
from the Church is a tough yet effective way of showing Fiennes’s vulnerability. As a result, he
manages to make Lawrence a complex, multilayered character in his own right.

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Stanley Tucci delivers a complicated, nuanced performance as Cardinal. He serves as
Lawrence’s conscience and the film’s moral compass. While he declares himself not worthy to
be elected, there is a feeling that he’s suppressed a desire to be Pope deep down. Despite
claiming he’s unworthy, he shows a bitter side to his personality as the story progresses. One
of the Tucci’s most intense moments is a heated debate with Fiennes over who would and
wouldn’t want to be the next pontiff. It is a well-written, effective scene that shows even the
most unassuming types can be flawed individuals.

John Lithgow brings a scheming, manipulative turn to Cardinal Tremblay. Despite his genial
nature, Tremblay proves to be a formidable opponent to his fellow laymen. He initially present
himself as an amiable type of man, but his ambition and shady nature come to the surface.
Lithgow specializes in playing complicated, layered types, and it is fascinating to see him
deliver a Machiavellian performance.

Isabelli Rossellini shines in her supporting role as Sister Agnes. Despite only having a handful
of scenes, the actress manages to hold her own opposite Fiennes, Tucci, and Lithgow.
Rossellini’s shining moment comes when Sister Agnes calls out a particular cardinal in front of
the entire conclave and gets her point across. This is one of her best performances to date.

The rest of the cast does well with their roles. Sergio Castellitto brings a haughty, smug sort of
bravado to Cardinal Tedesco, and he manages to do this without coming over the top. Lucian
Msamati plays Cardinal Adeyemi as a driven yet flawed man who attempts to justify past
mistakes. His penultimate scene has him struggling with and accepting the consequences of
his actions, and it is a moving scene to watch. Finally, Carlos Diehz delivers a moving turn as
Cardinal Benítez. He is both sincere and stoic in his performance. Special note should be paid
to his soft yet firm rebuke of a cardinal’s anti-Islamic views when discussing the issues of
terrorism and war. Another nuanced scene is his final conversation with Fiennes, which shows
his philosophical side and a calm, accepting nature.

Berger’s direction of Conclave is solid and focused. Rather than focusing on artistic shots of
the Vatican and other visuals, he has cinematographer Stephane Fontaine keep the camera
entered upon the characters and their relationships. Indeed, all the action remains within the
walls of the Church and never ventures outside of the Vatican City. Peter Straughan’s script has a sense of confinement, which adds to the tension amongst the cardinals. The result is tight and grounded, so as to maintain a tight gaze on the action within the film.

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Volker Bertelman re-teams with Berger after having worked with the director on All Quiet on the Western Front. His music score for Conclave is both modern yet ambient at times. The
composer makes use of the crystallophone called the Cristal Basket, which gives off a high
pitched vibrating sound. Bertelman’s score incorporates multiple rhythms such as polyrhythms, and the end result is a very layered score.

As is par for the course in Hollywood, Conclave takes some artistic license with Vatican law
and the selection of cardinals. Some people have criticized the film for the questionable
method in which Cardinal Benitez was selected as a cardinal. The plot point of his being
appointed in pectore would only be set in stone if said appointment is officially declared by the
Pope. Should the pontiff die, all in pectore selections would be rescinded. In real life, canon law would forbid someone whose appointment hasn’t been announced to join the conclave.
Granted, this is a work of fiction, so the film’s depiction cannot be taken literally. What’s more,
the novel states the late Pope changed Vatican law sometime before his death, but it is not
discussed or explained in the film.

Social issues are also a significant part of Conclave. Despite being entered around the election
of a new pontiff, the film examines various cardinals’ stances on race and sexuality. Bellini and
Lawrence are both in favour of LGBTQAI+ individuals, which echoes the stance of the late Pope. While Tremblay remains moderate about gay rights, Adeyemi and Tedesco are against the idea of LGBTQIA+ marriage. It is interesting to note that while Adeyemi is a member of the Catholic Church but dislikes gay people, whom he feels ought to be imprisoned. His view of the LGBTQIA+ community being “immoral" is a hypocritical stance, given that he himself is guilty of a sex scandal. Meanwhile, Tedesco blatantly shows racist attitudes towards Adeyemi by mocking the idea of a black Pope. Another noteworthy scene is the cardinals expressing their views on terrorism, during which Tedesco expresses a hatred of Islamists and relativism for many of the world’s problems. These examples stand to serve as an example that even those who proclaim to be spiritual and religious are given to their own prejudices and biases.

What is frustrating about Conclave is the backstory, as well as what the audience doesn’t
know. Apart from a brief deathbed scene, the viewer never actually meets the Pope, and it is
not clear what reforms he introduced to the Church. According to the film’s dialogue, the late
pontiff was progressive and open-minded. While he is not explicitly based on any real Popes,
the fact that he lived in modest accommodations and chose not to sit on the Papal throne
brings to mind the incumbent Pope Francis.

Overall, Conclave is a brilliant film. Berger keeps the focus on his plot and characters, which
makes for a tight narrative. Fiennes, Tucci, Lithgow, and Rossellini deliver arresting
performances. This is one of the year’s best works. Four out of four stars.