When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church.

One of the current frontrunners for next year’s Oscars, ‘Conclave’, is a serious drama with a capital S about the traditional process that takes place once a Pope dies to select his successor. It stars Ralph Fiennes in the leading role of Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the man who is selected to organise the papal conclave, and it centres on the runners and riders who spend the movie manipulating and backstabbing as they attempt to win favour and ultimately enough votes from their fellow cardinals. Cardinal Lawrence begins the process with an aim to be impartial and a desire to not be considered for the papacy, but as he discovers more secrets and more scandals surrounding the contenders, he finds himself conflicted as to how to walk the fine balance between maintaining his impartiality and ensuring the ‘wrong’ man isn’t selected.

Based on an acclaimed Robert Harris novel and with a prestige cast (Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini are amongst the supporting cast), ‘Conclave’ presents itself as a serious adult drama that touches on weighty and important themes, and to a degree it is that, but I also thought it was kind of silly, not least in the direction the story goes. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing and to a degree, the process of the papal conclave is quite a silly thing, but I did find the story became less and less plausible as it went on with the screenplay relying more and more on unlikely twists to inject drama into the movie. At the outset, it managed this balance far better and I felt director Edward Berger and his cast depicted this process well, showcasing the seriousness and importance of the tradition, while also not ignoring that like many old traditions, it is a little bit archaic and over the top.

Ralph Fiennes is absolutely excellent in the leading role with a nuanced portrayal of a conflicted many who isn’t even clear in himself what he really wants, and he drives the movie forward, while you can tell the supporting cast are having a lot of fun. ‘Conclave’ touches on many themes surrounding the papacy and even broader, with the pursuit of power, racial tensions and the battle between different ideals (liberal v conservative) drawn out through the different factions within the cardinals. The pursuit of power is the one thing they all have in common and the best parts of ‘Conclave’ are in watching the manipulation and backstabbing really take hold, and how the cardinals justify this in the name of God. Showing really that these godly men are no different to anyone else, when it comes down to it. I was really entertained by ‘Conclave’, more than a papal drama had any right to be, but I felt it doesn’t quite reach that top tier and that’s largely due to some silly narrative choices and to be frank, taking itself a little too seriously.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Edward Berger

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz and Brian F. O’Byrne

http://www.imdb.com/title/tr20215234/