

conclave
★★★★★
starring: ralph fiennes, stanley tucci, john lithgow, isabella rossellini
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REVIEWER: lyall carter
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.
Looking at his illustrious career from the hideous Amon Goth in Schindler’s List to the cartographer Count Almasy in The English Patient and one of fantasy fiction’s most iconic villains Lord Voldermort in the Harry Potter series, you cannot help be awestruck by Ralph Fiennes’ acting talent. A thespian chameleon, regularly transforming himself into new dastardly and delightful cinematic characters. While I haven’t seen nearly all of his performances, I’d humbly suggest that this is the finest of his illustrious career so far which elevates an already incredible film. Conclave is a gripping political thriller with an Oscar worthy turn from Ralph Fiennes, which slowly but surely ratchets up the tension which leads to a thunderous, mouth dropping finale.
Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, participating in the selection of a new pope. Surrounded by powerful religious leaders in the halls of the Vatican, he soon uncovers a trail of deep secrets that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Conclave is the kind of movie they don’t really make anymore. I know that’s something that cinephiles like to say but can you remember the last time a drama infused with political intrigue was released on the big screen? This kind of film seems to be the domain of streaming movies or TV series so it really was a gift to be able to catch this on the silver screen.
Narratively, Conclave builds at a slow but steady pace in the midst of one of the most ritualistic and historically infused processes in the world: the selection of the Pope. At first it almost seems amicable but as the story progresses we begin to discover the multiple political lines that are drawn out here which leads to one of the best conclusions that I have witnessed in a very long time. This film will stay with you for days, pondering the questions that the film leaves unanswered and hanging over you.
As we witnessed in director Edward Burger’s masterful All Quiet on the Western Front, detail is extremely important to him. I don’t think that you will see a more glorious production design in a film this year - the attention to detail is astounding and helps draw you deep not only into the world of the cardinals but into the story itself.
While the ensemble of Tucci, Lithgow, Msamati, and Rossellini are superb, this film truly belongs to Fiennes. For an actor of his thundering power, this has to be his quietest performance. But beneath the polite exterior, you can see that there is so much going on, just below the surface for his character. A masterful, award worthy performance.
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Conclave is a gripping political thriller with an Oscar worthy turn from Ralph Fiennes, which slowly but surely ratchets up the tension which leads to a thunderous, mouth dropping finale.