I have to be honest. My entire knowledge of the conclave comes from a certain Dan Brown novel and subsequent Tom Hanks movie. I had no idea what to expect from the movie Conclave.
The papal conclave is the process where the Catholic Church decides on a new Pope after the death of the current one. And so, this movie begins with that exact event. All the cardinals come from around the world to pay homage to the recently passed Pope and vote on who will step up into the position.
We are taken on a journey of power struggles, egos and political differences. We see how the power brokers of the Catholic Church are divided over whether to move forward in a modern society or go back to a more conservative era.
Ralph Fiennes commandingly plays the Cardinal Dean responsible for preparing and running the conclave lockdown. It’s a daunting and stressful task made harder by his wavering personal faith. Stanley Tucci plays a Bellini, an American liberal with similar beliefs to the late Pope. John Lithgow plays Joseph Tremblay, a Canadian mainstream conservative with less than ethical ambitions. The Vatican’s head nun Sister Agnes is played by Isabella Rossellini.
Conclave is essentially a mystery thriller that holds a quiet tension throughout the movie. The refreshingly understated acting and slow pace is perfectly in keeping with the secretive nature of electing a Pope. The imagery is spectacular with the dominant red of the cardinals’ robes and creative filming. The soundtrack set the scenes perfectly. The actors’ performances were all wonderful.
Conclave shows that the inner workings of the Catholic Church are not all that different to any major political or big business organisation. After all, we are all human, warts and all.
We found Conclave an intriguingly suspenseful movie that kept us riveted to our seats for the two hours duration. That is 4 stars from me!
Conclave opens in Perth cinemas on 9th January.