The Catholic Church certainly isn’t a stranger to controversy. The Pope is dead and after prying the papal ring off his finger, the top brass set about choosing a successor. The factions appear immediately as the hatches of the Vatican are battened down. Lead reluctantly by Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) the process and the power struggle begins. The rumours are flying and favourites already in place. Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) doesn’t really want it, but he’d rather take the job than it be offered to Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castelitto). Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow) is another option, but it seems he’s been up to no good and the deceased Pope knew it. That’s not the only curve ball, there’s also a new Cardinal, Benitez (Carlos Diehz) from Kabul, not exactly a Christian stronghold. It’s a film of conversations, speculations, private intentions, political agendas. A whirl of opinions fly around Lawrence as he moves from group to group, individual to individual, trying to keep the fight clean. Say what you like about the church, they’ve got a distinctive style that’s very cinematic. The robes, the symbolism, it’s weighty and makes this a surprising visual feast. Who knows if this is in any way accurate as to what happens in Conclave, truthfully it only needs to feel that it is and it does that with ease. It grabs you be the collar and pulls you into a fascinating world of dramatic tradition and familiar male ego. Theres no clear front runner, but the bases are loaded as Tredesco, Bellini, Temblay and Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) line up to go head to head, but it’s the back of the field you need to keep an eye on. The church may try to portray an air of calm control, but this is vicious. “It is a war and you have to commit to a side” declares Bellini and he’s one of the less volatile personalities. There are twists and turns. Some predictable, some not so. The voting itself is wonderfully dramatic. The tense score never far away. It’s very masculine of course, but as Lawrence tries to keep things on track, he finds himself pulled into the role of secret investigator with help from Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini). With hushed words, silent looks, a choice must be made, but it’s not an enviable one as the votes point to them “Considering the least worst option”. Lawrence doesn’t want to control or manipulate, in fact he wants out, but he may have bitten off more than he can chew. The cast is flawless, I don’t say that lightly. Honestly it’s perfection right across the board and no more than with Fiennes. It’s a magnificent piece of work and a story that transcends far beyond the Vatican walls.
8/10
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