Conclave main backdrop
Conclave main poster

7.4/10 • 32

2024-10-252h 0m

DramaThrillerMystery

What happens behind these walls will change everything.

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 center of a conspiracy that could lead to its downfall.

Directors
Edward Berger
Writters
Peter Straughan
Editors
Peter Straughan, Nick Emerson

Top Billed Cast

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  1. Ralph Fiennes

    Ralph Fiennes

    Thomas Lawrence

  2. Stanley Tucci

    Stanley Tucci

    Aldo Bellini

  3. John Lithgow

    John Lithgow

    Joseph Tremblay

  4. Isabella Rossellini

    Isabella Rossellini

    Sister Agnes

  5. Lucian Msamati

    Lucian Msamati

    Joshua Adeyemi

  6. Carlos Diehz

    Carlos Diehz

    Vincent Benitez

  7. Sergio Castellitto

    Sergio Castellitto

    Goffredo Tedesco

  8. Brían F. O'Byrne

    Brían F. O'Byrne

    Raymond O'Malley

  9. Merab Ninidze

    Merab Ninidze

    Sabbadin

Reviews1

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Brent Marchant Avatar

Brent Marchant

Oct 31, 2024

6/10

It’s more than a little frustrating when a film seemingly has all of the elements needed to make it work except the one that’s most crucial, the one that enables a production to brilliantly succeed or doom it to failure – the story. Such is the case with director Edward Berger’s latest, the much-anticipated, much-celebrated drama about the convening of a papal conclave to select a new pope. From a technical standpoint, the filmmaker has pulled together everything that should make this an epic picture – a gorgeous production design, stunning and inventive cinematography, and a stellar cast featuring superb performances by the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini, as well as fine turns by such lesser-known performers (at least to American audiences) as Lucian Msamati and Sergio Castellito. The picture also raises some insightful observations (though a little too infrequently for my tastes) about the current state of the Roman Catholic Church, particularly its foot-dragging on implementing reforms, the incessant high-profile scandals that have rocked the institution, and the rising tide of unflattering public perceptions among its increasingly skeptical practitioners, all of which weigh heavily on the College of Cardinals in determining who should be named as the new Holy Father. Unfortunately, though, the story and script leave a lot to be desired. For starters, much of the film’s opening act moves by at a glacial pace, frequently causing one’s eyelids to become more than a little heavy. As the picture moves into the meat of the story – the conclave itself – it waxes somewhat melodramatic, not unlike a glorified 1980s prime time TV soap opera. Its attempt to come across as an intrigue-laced thriller amounts to more than a succession of backstabbing segments in which the leading candidates to become the next pontiff are systematically eliminated through the revelation of skeletons in their respective closets. Finally, as the movie enters the stretch run, it throws in several twists and turns that either come completely out of left field (and somewhat implausibly at that) or that predictably materialize on cue thanks to the planting of patently obvious clues early on that were wholly impossible to ignore as the story plays out. Regrettably, these narrative foibles undermine all of the other fine attributes that this production has going for it, ultimately amounting to a case of being long on style but a little skimpy on substance, a shortcoming that also plagued Berger’s last feature outing, “All Quiet on the Western Front” (2022). Unlike many others who have been so profoundly moved and thoroughly captivated by this release, perhaps my not having been born and raised Roman Catholic has somehow prevented me from fully appreciating the depth and magnitude accorded to this offering’s contents. But, as someone who seeks to evaluate everything I screen on an equal footing, I can’t help but observe that “Conclave” simply doesn’t measure up when it comes to what it takes to make a genuine big screen epic.

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
$21,657,446.00
Keywords
vaticanreligioncatholic churchpapal conclave