The Pope has died, and Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is in charge of overseeing a conclave, where Cardinals from all over the world have been sequestered to vote on the next one. However, moments before the Cardinals are meant to go into lockdown, a last minute visit from a troubled Prefect, informs Cardinal Lawrence that one of the more prominent Cardinals up for Pope may be hiding a big secret that should have him expelled. On top of that there is a secret Cardinal, unbeknownst to any of his colleagues, that arrives, claiming to hold the title on the old Pope’s formal behest. Factions have formed, and will intensify, as the direction of the Catholic church, past and present, will come under scrutiny.
Well, a recent conversation had me figuring out who I reckon to be the best actors of our time, and perhaps my decided top two stand opposed each other in this movie. How great is it to have Ralph Fiennes act across from Stanley Tucci, although I wish Tucci had more to do, to flex his range in this movie 😞 But I believe I’ve heard that Fiennes will be in the running for an Oscar nomination through this performance, and while I deem that okay, I think I prefer his turn in The Menu, and liken Cardinal Lawrence to the humble character Fiennes played in The Reader, whom I also liked better. I think the true focal point of this movie is the mystery at hand anyway – just who will be Pope? And who deserves it? With a curious web weaved such as this, I think I would’ve expected more drama, or high points, than are given, to make me feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth 😬 I also feel like director Edward Berger had a tough business, in deciding between long shots and close-ups throughout, seeking to enjoy the picturesque locations taken by the conclave, while I also wanted to get intimate with the character’s secret whisperings and acting performances – I don’t think he gets the balance right. Throughout this movie, I was mostly intrigued by the order of busy work that goes into the practice of the conclave – the ceremonial wear, the manner of which the votes are collected and burnt, the necessary smokes; the bus rides, and food preparation as well, and so I am most thankful to Conclave for providing the short concise insights into that.
But no doubt, everyone who sees this movie will want to talk about that ending. My bet was that Cardinal Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci) was to be found out to have set up everything, and Cardinal Lawrence would assume the role as Pope, as everyone else was exposed or toppled. But I’m sure not-nobody-not-no-how could have guessed the actual twist ending that was to come, where people probably would’ve had more hope in the nineties, figuring out who shot Mr. Burns 😱 And I’m not above admitting that my first reaction was, “oh jeez! This movie is importing that the best person for the male role is a woman. And the trans are mighty again 🙄” But in actuality, that’s not the case, and Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz) isn’t even trans, but intersex – a person presenting as male that happens to have female parts as well. The movie uses this reveal to personify the doubt between certainties, where faith can only be seen to exist to oppose doubt in the realm of uncertainty, as Cardinal Lawrence had previously put forth. That’s quite clever, really 👍 But again, Cardinal Benitez is intersex. He’s born with a birth defect. To me, I don’t see a difference between that and being born with an extra finger.
The movie also presents Lawrence as our arbiter of truth, the greatest moral compass, and through that we must trust that Cardinal Benitez will be the best representative as Pope, since Lawrence chooses to expose Trembley (John Lithgow) for his treachery, deny Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati) in his secrecy, but allows Benitez his privacy. I mean, sure, fine – I’m not privy to the finer scripture of the Catholic Church, nor do I care to invest in it, and it does seem to me that Benitez would only be denied Pope on a medical technicality, so who cares about that? It’s like Air Bud in the sense that nowhere in the rulebook does it say a dog CAN’T play basketball, so maybe a hermaphrodite can be Pope, if he’s already a Cardinal 🤷♂️ However, taking a real world view, I’m not sure that logic translates to say, women’s sports, where there have been social rules set up to account for biological differences 🤷♂️🤷♂️ Personally, I just can’t get over the fact that so many Cardinals voted for a Cardinal they only just met, and never knew existed. The movie doesn’t even contain a scene where all the other Cardinals gather round Cardinal Benetiz in order to get to know him. even after his tremendous speech – in fact, he’s shown to still be sitting alone on the benches in the courtyard later on 🤔 I was watching this movie with my Dad, and he says that he knew Benitez would be elected Pope the moment he spoke up against war, but even I, at that moment and after, still felt unsure. I just want to see what happens next, when this new Pope is presented to the people, and the media go, “wait, who?”, as they interpret the news of a surprise pick that wasn’t even on the ticket.
But I also like how this movie ends, with us hearing the nuns chattering, leaving their services for the day, and Cardinal Lawrence listening on, as if an indication that it’s time to reevaluate the role of the women in the Catholic church. Because this is pretty much the only time we hear a woman speak, pretty much the only time they’re allowed to speak, and I haven’t even mentioned yet the assistance Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini) provides, as she defies her customs by speaking out during the conclave, confirming vital information 👍 Conclave is not a boring movie, but it is slow, and it is long. Director Berger has just come off a gigantic hit that was All Quiet on the Western Front with his last feature, and so probably could’ve done anything he wanted thereafter; and his decision was to pounce on the exact same yellow courtyard location The First Omen shot last year too 😮 One group of secretive nuns were exited out, while this group of gossiping Cardinals moved in. And it seems as soon as The First Omen could clear the charred nun from the balcony, then came Berger’s time to drop copious cigarette butts 😆 The magic of cinema. 3.5
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