(PG) ★★★★
Director: Edward Berger.
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Sergio Castellitto, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Carlos Diehz, BrÃan F. O'Byrne, Jacek Koman, Merab Ninidze.
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| At any moment, a well-choreographed dance routine was about to break out. |
Sometimes a movie makes you feel like you're prying into a world you're not supposed to see.
Such is the case with Conclave, a "political thriller" that's unlike any other political thriller you can probably think of - its politics are unique, and its thrills are mostly lowkey, but no less thrilling for this fact.
The film takes us inside the decision-making process that selects a new pope. It's like the election for a high school class president, but with weirder costumes and more Latin. And it's endlessly fascinating, not just for its peak into a world most mere mortals will never see, but for its considerations about the Catholic Church's strange position trapped between its traditions and the modern world.
While it's thematically about politics, popularity and power, it's very much about the Church - it's about faith, doubt, a higher calling, and the limitations and expectations of tradition, and how all of that rubs up against the very human traits of ambition and greed.
Central to the story is Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Fiennes), the man in charge of getting all the cardinals in one room and casting their vote for a new Pope.
Around him are a colourful array of cardinals vying for the position of top dog - Tucci's determined liberal, Lithgow's ambitious moderate, Castellito's fire-and-brimstone traditionalist, Msamati's popular conservative, and Diehz's little-known dark horse.
Peter Straughan's script, based on Robert Harris' book, throws in casual intrusions from the outside world to ensure the intrigue continues, and everything moves at a comfortable pace so you won't even notice you're on tenterhooks.
The great screenplay is heightened by some great performances, but the cinematography really helps us get into the heads of characters. There are a lot of close-ups of Fiennes, and it never ceases to amaze how he can convey so much with so little. His is not a flashy performance - a lot of it takes places behind the eyes. But Berger's camera captures that, giving us another great Fiennes turn in a very long list of great Fiennes turns.
He's ably supported by a cast that could easily have stolen the show, were it not for Fiennes' commanding yet comfortable performance. Tucci, Lithgow and Rossellini are no slouches, and as great as you'd expect, while Castellito, Msamati and Diehz are also excellent.
Volker Bertelmann's score is quite powerful in places, subtle in others, and does a stellar job of enhancing the mood throughout. Also, major kudos to the team that turned Cinecittà Studios into a replica Vatican - you wouldn't know it wasn't the real thing.
Conclave's plot has moments that may tip you out of the reality of the film. The final act will definitely test some people's suspension of disbelief, especially the ending, but it remains fascinating and thought-provoking nonetheless.
All in all, a fascinating sermon on the state of the Church and its place in the world, with a Fiennes performance worthy of being put on an altar.
Amen.
