REVIEW: Power is at the heart of ‘Conclave,’ a superb film now on Blu-ray
Photo: Conclave stars Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence. Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment / Provided by Mandy Kay Marketing with permission.
Director Edward Berger’s Conclave is the drama of the year. Penned by Peter Straughan and based on a book by Robert Harris, the pope-centric film follows the fictional death of the pontiff and the power plays that transpire as the college of cardinals is convened in Vatican City. There are several candidates to be the successor, but some of them are felled by suspicions and allegations that tank their candidacy.
At the center of the narrative is Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence, the right-hand man of the former pope and convener of the conclave. He is meticulous in how he handles the gathering of the cardinals, ensuring they are properly sequestered in the Sistine Chapel for the momentous votes. Outside the safe confines of the Vatican there is apparent turbulence, but the cardinals never pay attention to the drama because they are within their closed-off world. And that’s the intention of Lawrence: He wants them to select the leader of the Roman Catholic Church without outside interference and influence.
Fiennes is the type of actor who only comes along once in a generation. He’s up there in the stratosphere with the likes of Daniel Day-Lewis, and his performance in Conclave is effective in its pure understatement. His Lawrence is not ambitious or given to theatrics; instead, he practices discipline and calm, even when the proceedings call for outbursts and fraught conversations.
Of the cardinals, there are a few who quickly emerge as frontrunners. Stanley Tucci’s Cardinal Bellini represents the forward-thinking, more liberal church. His political opposite would be Sergio Castellitto’s Cardinal Tedesco, who believes the last 60 years of reform since Vatican II were a mistake. He’s regressive and believes the Catholic Church is in a religious war with other faiths.
Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) strikes a balance between Bellini and Tedesco, but there are furrowed brows about his checkered past. Ditto for Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), a Black man who faces racism amongst his colleagues and is too conservative for Bellini’s liking. A newcomer in the college is Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), who was secretly appointed by the previous pope to head up a mission in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Straughan’s script becomes a thriller as the cardinals work their way through the official process of selecting the next pontiff. Each vote becomes a political statement, with favor and disfavor shifting from candidate to candidate. Behind the scenes, there’s conversing, scheming and power plays, with each cardinal needing to face the facts and weigh various options, none of them ideal. Their collective decision is one of great import because this leader of the church will be tasked with changing the course of religious history and world history. Will the new pope be more open to women in clerical roles? Will the new pope extend a hand to divorced Catholics? Will the LGBTQIA+ community be more accepted?
Lawrence, who manages this flock, understands the gravity of the situation, and he leans on tradition to be his guide. But each time he’s committed to the proper path forward, some new revelation upends his plans.
Isabella Rossellini provides solid supporting work as Sister Agnes, the leader of the nuns who assist the cardinals. She may have a few secrets up her sleeve as well.
There is high drama inherent to the selection of any successor, be it in the religious world or political world. Berger and his team smartly figured out that this selection process is ripe for the dramatic treatment, with so many engaging, anticipatory events that keep the audience wanting to know more, yearning to find out what will happen next. One could almost take bets on which candidate will prove victorious, which, of course, is the exact opposite of what this process should be promoting. Conclave proves that humans are seemingly incapable of tamping down their inner-competitive spirit, especially with such a monumental position within one’s grasp.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Conclave (2024). Directed by Edward Berger. Written by Peter Straughan, based on the book by Robert Harris. Starring Ralph Fiennes, Isabella Rossellini, Stanley Tucci, Lucian Msamati, John Lithgow, Carlos Diehz and Sergio Castellitto. Running time: 120 minutes. Rated PG for thematic material and smoking. Rating: 
Now available on Blu-ray and digital platforms.
