CONCLAVE

TIFF 24 REVIEW BY: DARREN ZAKUS

DATE: SEPTEMBER 30, 2024

RATING: 4.5 out of 5

Conclave is not the film you expect it to be based on its subject matter, but what ensues is one of the most thrilling, brilliantly acted, and memorable films of the year that is bound to have audiences talking thanks to the way it both challenges and reaffirms faith, delivering yet another masterful film from director Edward Berger.

Whatever you thought a film about a papal election would be, it is guaranteed not what Conclave is. Following up his Academy Award winning film All Quiet on the Western Front, director Edward Berger moves from the battlefields of the First World War to the cutthroat papal election within the Vatican with a psychological thriller that ranks among one of the year’s best films. Armed with an insanely talented cast led by the incredible Ralph Fiennes, Berger not only delivers a riveting film that will have you on the edge of your seat as you watch the papal election unfold, which can only be described as Succession meets the Vatican, but a masterful cinematic effort that is features a true mastering of the craft by Berger. The result is an unforgettable cinematic experience that both challenges religion and reminds audiences what it truly means to have faith in a higher power.

Based on the novel by Robert Harris, Conclave tells the story of a papal election in the Vatican after the death of the Pope from the perspective of Cardinal Lawrence who is tasked with running the conclave, who discovers a secret that threatens to destroy the faith in the papal office should the wrong cardinal be elected. Treachery, backstabbing, character assassinations and backroom deals are all elements of Harris’s novel and Peter Straughan’s screenplay, developing a film full of shocking twists and turns, betrayals and comedic moments that will hook you from the opening scene. While the film is based in religion and faith, the story strips the cardinals down to a more human level, portraying the majority of them as power hungry individuals with their own agendas. With their differing views on the direction the Catholic Church should take, with some wanting to continue to be more progressive while others want to roll back progress made by the late Pope, it is an interesting look at how the terms of one of the most widespread religions in the world is dictated by a small group of individuals, not the words of God himself. The film never makes a statement one way or another about whether religion is good, the manner in which faith is explored highlights the personal nature of it and is bound to leave audiences questioning what it is that drives their own faith and generate some vigorous conversation as people leave the cinema. But from a purely entertainment point of view, minus those religious individuals who are going to be thrown through a loop with the film’s final shocking reveal that will most likely cause protests about this film in some countries, you will be hard pressed to find a more intriguing and enthralling thriller this year than Conclave.

Reteaming with Berger is composer Volker Bertelmann after winning the Academy Award for All Quiet on the Western Front, and it is one of the best musical scores of the year. Using a striking string quartet and percussive hits, Bertelmann creates an atmosphere of paranoia and uncertainty for the film as the cardinals backstab and turn on each other. It results in a thrilling soundscape for the film that takes the story to new heights, and one outstanding musical score that outdoes Bertelmann’s previous work in every regard. Stéphane Fontaine’s cinematography gives a grand scale to the film from sweeping shots of the cardinals voting and the Vatican, capturing the natural light and shadows of the rooms of the Vatican and the on location shots in Rome, which matches the tone of the story and Bertelmann’s score at every turn. Visually arresting in every frame, especially that shot of the cardinals with their white umbrellas walking into one of the conclave votes, it’s one of the most beautifully shot films of the year that should earn an Academy Award nomination for Fontaine’s work. Every element of the film works under Berger’s masterful direction that, like Father Lawrence guiding the conclave, ensures the entire film falls perfectly into place to create an engrossing experience from start to finish.

But, it is the sensational performances from the talented cast that is the aspect of the film you are going to remember long after the credits of Conclave have stopped rolling. Fiennes is outstanding as Cardinal Lawrence as he tries to guide the conclave despite all the secrets being uncovered during its process. He balances his character’s own crisis in faith as he tries to maintain the integrity of the papal office to ensure that the public’s faith in it is not lost, even if the antics of the cardinals threaten it. It’s a commanding performance that has powerful moments of silence, compassion and a determination that makes for one of the year’s best performances that is more than deserving of an Academy Award nomination. Stanley Tucci is excellent as Cardinal Bellini, a reluctant candidate for the papal office, possessing a calm voice of reason as he navigates a tumultuous election. John Lithgow gives a great performance as Cardinal Tremblay, relishing in his almost villainous role as a cardinal who has no limits as to what he will do to ensure that the wrong cardinal is not elected, while Sergio Castellitto is sinister and hilarious as Cardinal Tedesco, the Italian cardinal favourited to win the election. Carlos Diehz is powerful as the newest appointed cardinal, Cardinal Benitez, but it is Isabella Rosellini who steals every scene as Sister Agnes. As the head nun of the conclave, Rosellini is an immovable force that will not allow the antics of the cardinals to go unnoticed. There are moments of silence from her where her mannerisms allow you to hear the gears turning within her character’s head as she figures out how to navigate the treacherous waters of the election, all culminating in one sensational scene that will have your jaw hit the floor, laughing and then applauding as she curtseys her way right into the best supporting actress awards race.

It’s hard to imagine that one of the most thrilling films of the year full of backstabbing and savagely funny moments is a film about electing the next Pope, but Edward Berger never for a second ceases to amaze with his latest film. As gorgeous to watch as it is darker in subject matter, the adaptation of Robert Harris’s novel is as sharp as Succession with its calculated moves and counters creates an exciting and nerve wracking papal election, that is brought to life by one of the most talented casts of the year and an outstanding musical score from Volker Bertelmann that heightens the paranoia with every attack of the string quartet. Under the brilliant direction of Edward Berger that evokes two of the best performances of the year from Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini who will both leave you in awe of their talents, Conclave is both a thrilling game of politicking and betrayal and a reflection on faith that results in one of the most sensational films of the year.