Conclave

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Jacek Koman, Thomas Loibl, Brian F. O'Byrne, Isabella Rossellini, Rony Kramer, Sergio Castellitto, Carlos Diehz
Directed by: Edward Berger
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama, Thriller
2024

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: After the Pope dies, Cardinals from around the world descend on the Vatican to begin Conclave, selecting a new leader for the Roman Catholic Church.

Review:

Tim: One of my favorite films of 2022 was Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front. He returns two years later, with Conclave, currently my favorite movie of 2024 (I still have some big ones to watch, so it's a tentative hold). Regardless of that outcome, Berger has once again delivered a near-masterpiece. There is so much I loved about this film. It's brilliantly directed, features outstanding performances, impeccable writing, superb sound, and features a compelling, twisting, thought-provoking narrative. This is everything I want in a film.

The idea of being able to slip behind the closed doors of the sequestered conclave is an outstanding premise for a film. The Catholic process of choosing a new Pope is secretive and fascinating. We get to see it all in vivid detail- the painstaking vote process, the behind-the-scenes politics searching for votes, the assessing of different candidates, their histories, what their policies would mean for the world's Catholics. However, the film isn't just concerned with the organizational-level. The best scenes all come from the human drama. To be a good priest, a good servant of God, requires humility, of putting others before yourself, of continual self-sacrifice. That flies in the face of the conclave process- how can a man combat his ambitions for the power of the papacy, while not pushing himself out of the running? It feels like an impossible process, where you wonder to be elected pope, what must you give up? How much do you need to fight against the requirements of your current position, to thrust yourself into the limelight as a serious contender? This film explores the human drama beautifully, against the broader backdrop of what this decision might mean for the world's 1.3 billion Catholics? This is all fascinating.

Berger isn't just content with that, though. Everything he does ratchets up the drama. The cinematography is stunning, especially when you consider it mostly takes place in enclosed places. The costumes are immaculate- somehow, they stand out when most of the characters are wearing the same thing. The detail to show the differences is wonderful. And, perhaps most vividly for me, Berger's use of sound to draw us in, heighten the tension, make us pause- it's one of the best I have seen in any movie, maybe ever. Among the many categories I think this film should have won, I wish it took the Academy Award for Best Original Score. The scoring here was brilliant. When watching this movie, I was simultaneously entertained by the human drama and also in awe of what Berger crafted here. In two years, he's emerged as one of the most exciting, must-see directors working today.

I've held off on the cast, but I have immense praise for them. This all starts with Ralph Fiennes. Fiennes has long been one of the greatest actors working today. He never gets the acclaim he deserves, though. For an actor so brilliant, he's so underrated. This might be his best performance ever (it's challenging to say this definitively, when so many have been so good). His role as Lawrence is filled with ambiguity, but we never stop liking and rooting for this man. He is thrust into an impossible position shortly after a serious crisis of faith, and must confront his own demons, his own doubts, as he drive conclave forward. His performance is nearly flawless, showing so much vulnerability in a man that must remain stoic and settled. I absolutely adored him in this performance. Stanley Tucci is fantastic in a supporting role that we appreciate and care about, as the film develops. Tucci is such a great actor and he makes Aldo likable and memorable. John Lithgow is tremendous as well. Lithgow can do anything on screen and make it seem effortless. He manages to hit all the right notes with this performance- we don't really like Tremblay, although it's hard to say if it's for legitimate reasons or not. He drives this character into that gray area throughout the film, and his work is masterful. Quick note- one of the highlights of this film is getting to see Fiennes, Tucci, and Lithgow all act together with such deep, incredible roles. They all rise to the occasion.

Sergio Castellitto was a continual scene-stealer. He thrusts Tedesco into the forefront of the film and it's impossible to watch his character and not feel something. His insistent performance is wonderful and it makes the movie significantly better. Lucian Msamati delivers some of the most heartbreaking scenes of the film- there's a few moments where you contemplate the complexity of this man, and what his past makes you think about him today. The looks he gives at times are enough to seriously tug your heartstrings, even as your feeling about his character remain complex. That's due to tremendous work by Msamati. Isabella Rossellini is great in her supporting role, too. I was a little surprised she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress- she's so good, but her real performance is limited to only a few scenes. I appreciated her work and she's so important to this film- to bring a woman's perspective, to add to the movie in a different way from all the men. I'm glad she didn't win, but that takes nothing away from her stunning work here. I also loved the performance of Brian F. O'Byrne. He has a very small role, but every time he comes on screen, your eyes are drawn to him. What will he say? How will he say it? It's a tremendous performance, although very limited. I'm still trying to figure out what I think about Carlos Diehz's performance. That might be the point. I don't think I loved his work, but I appreciated what he did more on the second viewing than I did the first. I suppose the highest praise is that his character is ambiguous. As a whole, my goodness, they assembled a truly spectacular cast, and Berger allows so many actors to give career-best (or near career-best) performances.

As much as I adore this movie, I do want to talk about the ending. I'll try very hard not to hint at any spoilers. When I saw the film in theaters, right before the ending, I thought, "This might be one of the best movies I've ever seen." And then, the ending comes and I felt some level of disappointment. It was fine, but it felt a bit unearned, a bit rushed, too surprising. I didn't really buy it. I was sad that this near-masterpiece came back a bit to Earth, but the ending didn't negate all the wonderful things that came before it. I needed to watch the film again, several months later. I once again marveled at the incredible production, and this time, I felt more at peace with the ending. I'm not sure it's the one I wanted and it's definitely one of the weaker aspects of the film. But, I didn't hate it. I understood more, I accepted it a bit. That's really the one thing that holds the film back just a bit- if the conclusion was tighter, this would have been one of my all-time favorite films.

Despite that, it's still the best movie I've seen in 2024. It was nominated for 8 Academy Awards. It's hard to comment on them all, because I haven't seen multiple big films (Anora, The Brutalist, etc.). It was nominated for Best Picture, which I would have given it at this point. I mentioned Best Original Score and Best Supporting Actress. Ralph Fiennes was nominated for Best Actor. While I haven't seen Adrian Brody's performance, I really wanted Fiennes to win. I loved him so much in this film. The film also picked up nominations for Best Film Editing, Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design. I think it could have won any of those. I do think it's a travesty that Berger wasn't nominated for Best Director. This movie is so much better than Emilia Perez, I don't believe Jacques Audiard deserved that spot. Conclave, as amazing as it was, won only 1 Academy Award- Best Adapted Screenplay. While I'm so thankful for that win and it's so deserving, I can't help but feel the Academy again gets it wrong. This movie deserved multiple wins.

I'm excited to see how my feelings evolve as I see more 2024 films, but what won't change is how much I love Conclave. In a year of many great films, it's currently the best movie I have seen. It's dramatic, thrilling, thought-provoking, entertaining. Berger is a brilliant director and after this, I'll see whatever he does in the future. You don't often get movies like this- a prestige picture, but one that is so entertaining that I'd happily watch it many more times.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: All Quiet on the Western Front (2022), The Left Hand of God, Spotlight