OTwo Reviews: Conclave

Image Credit: Focus Features

Head of Reviews Robert Flynn reviews Conclave, an unapologetic throwback to the tense thriller genre

“They don’t make them like this anymore” is an almost unavoidable statement in modern day film discussion. Such an observation is frequently made in reference to the American made studio films of the 1990s and late 80s. Before the turn of the millennium, genre films that were led by recognizable movie stars were ubiquitous. Among these films emerged the run of tense and often unhinged legal/political thrillers that offered cheap thrills with the veneer of a prestigious cinematographer and ensemble cast. Films like Reversal of Fortune (1990) or The Pelican Brief (1993) were never the most artful uses of the medium and yet they still retain an undeniably engaging and entertaining power. 

This period of trashy yet enjoyable thrillers is brought up to challenge the notion that they are not made anymore, especially after the release of Edward Berger’s gripping Vatican-set thriller, Conclave. Set in the immediate aftermath of the Pope’s unexpected passing, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a nervy and soft spoken senior member of the papacy, must become the unbiased leader of the conclave that will decide who ascends to the vacant throne of St Peter and assume the role of Pope.

Berger’s thriller is quite consciously set in the contemporary world, with cardinals doomscrolling before they convene, hitting vape pens, and walking through metal detectors to enter the Vatican. This group of disorderly and intransigent cardinals presents the identity of a modern papacy that is in crisis, split between the past and present, torn between each of its constituencies. Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) represents the belligerent, conservative divide of the conclave that is in opposition to the liberal, progressive side that is represented by Lawrence’s contemporary Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci). Each candidate presents a step forward or backward for the international image of their religion, however, their motivations are all the same: to gain control over the Papacy. 

Conversations play out in dimly lit rooms with the shadows of each respective cardinal hanging over them; their prejudices and secrets coming to light in their pursuits of the papacy. Berger can flex his directorial muscles in these strained dialogue scenes but he’s not achieving anything new.

Where Berger's film falls down is in how opaque his approach to the corruption and division of the Vatican is. Each character states their rigid personalities and tightly held political views in excessively direct ways, their very preachy monologues underscored by an obnoxiously tense score that is rich in piercing staccatos and ominous beats. The film's several absurd, vague and egregious narrative twists do not do Berger’s one note deconstruction of the Conclave’s identity any favours either.

However, what makes Conclave such an engaging ride is how its troupe of consummate performers sell you the plot’s more absurd moments. Several late career performances from Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rosselini, and Ralph Fiennes make Conclave worth the price of admission. Fiennes, who is often the strong point of a film, offers a much more internal performance that echoes his earlier, more patient characters from the beginning of his career. Tucci and Rosselini sit back and do the hard work: showcasing exposition and selling Peter Straughan’s unhinged script in a very collected and believable manner. 

Conclave is held together by its seasoned cast but is let down by anything that is out of their control, as is the tradition of the 90s political thriller.