“We are mortal men who serve an ideal. We are not always ideal.” These lines of dialogue are the core of Conclave, director Edward Berger’s tense and consistently involving film version of Robert Harris’ 2016 novel of the same name. Coming off of his 2022 Oscar-winning success All Quiet on the Western Front, Berger takes Harris’ pulpy story and crafts a thinking man’s mystery/thriller with an intense dramatic punch. Be it the high drama of 1968’s The Shoes of the Fisherman and 1981’s True Confessions, or the intense early 70s horror of The Devils and The Exorcist, the Catholic Church (with all of its rules and rituals) can make for compelling cinema in any genre. 

The most overly-elaborate rite of the organization is the selection of a new pope. A society of cardinals gathers in Rome, secluding themselves for sometimes days of deliberation. The secrecy and theatricality of this event (and the dangers of the real-world ambitions of the men involved) give Conclave an entertaining blend of sensationalism and character-driven suspense. 

Adapted by Berger and Peter Straughan, the director takes this story very seriously, as the screenplay doesn’t ridicule the campiness of the Catholic church’s outdated rituals, but examines the folly of supposed holy men and their aspirations that serve their own interests rather than the words and teachings of God. 

Conclave begins with the death of the pope. The following seventy-two hours find Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, giving his best performance in decades), the Dean of the College of Cardinals, presiding over the sequestered meetings of Cardinals, as the election of a new pope begins. While Dean Lawrence may be experiencing an ill-timed crisis of faith, he believes the only way to move the church forward with the changing times is to put his vote behind his friend, Secretary of State Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci in his finest hour). Bellini is a good man whose all-inclusive beliefs are in sync with Lawrence’s hope for a better future. Dean Lawrence (and many of the Cardinals and Bishops who populate The Vatican) had an affection for the deceased pope. The herculean task of guiding some of his more conservative and far-Right brothers to a progressive leadership weighs heavy on him. This is not the time for his unavoidable existential crisis. 

As Cardinals and Archbishops descend on The Vatican, the political upheaval of the world is represented. The morally questionable Cardinal Tremblay (the always great John Lithgow) has his greedy eyes on the papal prize. Nigerian Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) seems to have strong support from his fellow brothers. His election would find him making history as the first Black pope, but his outdated views on homosexuality and a seriously damaging skeleton in the closet prevents Dean Lawrence from backing him. The outspoken and extreme Right-Wing Italian Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) mirrors the modern GOP, as he uses xenophobia, bigotry, and the promise/hope of a modern Holy war, hoping to bring back the Catholic church from the days of The Inquisition. 

Isabella Rossellini is quietly excellent as Sister Agnes, who is in charge of a staff of nuns brought there to serve the men. Having no say in the choosing of the man who will lay down the rules for the women in the church, subservience is a long-standing order of the day, as the Catholic hierarchy continues to see women as “lesser” than males. These women shall prepare and serve the food, refill drinks, and keep the cardinals and Bishops content. They are not to be seen, nor heard. DAs one Bishop says to Lawrence when he tries to defend a woman’s place in the church, “Don’t bring up women.” 

The unplanned arrival of Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz) causes a wave of distrust to run through the already unstable climate of The Vatican. Secretly appointed to be the Archdiocese of Kabul by the late pope, his reason for being there confounds the clergy while Benitez holds a secret that may shake the foundation and principles of the church.

Conclave is an engrossing and literate film about ambition and crumbling faith. It presents the argument of whether those who seek to be pope have the world’s best interest in mind or are they simply satisfying their own desires? The picture doesn’t question if these are men of faith or charlatans seeking money and power. The Vatican is filled with men of God, but they are all human and human beings are fallible. No one is perfect and each of these men have skeletons big and small in their respective closets. The screenplay is quite interesting in its exploration of the hypocrisy of the supposed forgiveness the church preaches so freely, while secretly judging their own. 

In unison with Roberta Federico’s incredible Art Direction and a tightly constructed score from Volker Bertelmann, Cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine creates many marvelously designed shots, using the striking beauty of the architecture and morphing it into something of a more sinister political thriller. When the script veers into the overly familiar (Lithgow’s and Castellitto’s characters are a bit too cartoonishly villainous at times), the film’s design and Berger’s steady direction keeps the pulse of the film beating strong. The talented filmmaker crafts this one with the aura of Agatha Christie and the eye of Alan J. Pakula. 

Indulging its audience in both the serious and the suspenseful, Conclave is a compelling, literate and well-crafted dramatic thriller for adults. 

Conclave

Written by Peter Straughan and Edward Berger (Based on the Robert Harris novel of the same name)

Directed by Edward Berger

Starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto, Bryan F. O’Byrne

PG, 120 Minutes, Focus Features, Access Entertainment, FilmNation Entertainment