Dir: Edward Berger. With Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini. UK-USA 2024. 120 mins. English, Italian with English subtitles
When a pope dies, it is traditional that a group of cardinals gather in Rome to sequester themselves away and decide who will take over as his successor. This shadowy, confidential world is the ideal setting for a psychological thriller and Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) makes the most of its secrets, power plays and intrigues.
Ralph Fiennes is Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, charged with mediating the discussion over the succession. This is no easy job, as a number of warring factions jostle for supremacy. The late pope’s efforts to reform the Catholic Church were regarded as dangerous by some of the more reactionary candidates for the role, who are vying to restore some conservatism to the role. Stanley Tucci’s affable American is the progressive option, with John Lithgow’s cardinal balancing out the pack as the moderate choice. And, much like many secular political campaigns, there are some nasty surprises lurking in the wings to discredit one of the candidates. While the men argue, the true heart of the film comes from Isabella Rossellini, playing a nun whose spirited speech has inspired applause at festival screenings.
Although the setting is the rarefied corridors of the Vatican, the bickering, humour and backstabbing in Conclave are as enjoyable and gripping as HBO’s Succession.
