TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2024 REVIEW! Conclave, the latest from Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), uses a fictional narrative to explore one of the oldest and most secretive exercises of power in humanity — the election of a new pope. Ralph Fiennes is Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals. When the previous pope dies somewhat unexpectedly, it is up to Lawrence to orchestrate a conclave to elect the new pope. Intrigue ensues, as nearly every possible contender has either naked ambitions of power or dark secrets that may hinder their ascent.
The main contenders are Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), a xenophobic power player; Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), a man with hints of a shady past and cover-up; Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), who has African support but holds a despicable position on homosexuality; and Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), an American reformer — a seemingly good man, but one who doesn’t have quite enough votes. When Lawrence (Fiennes) starts to get votes himself, it creates a kind of crisis because he’s been struggling with his faith, and he’s conflicted because he’s uncovering all kinds of shady activity from some of the other candidates. What’s the correct path, or the most ethical one: let a terrible person take power or break a few rules to achieve a better outcome?
Meanwhile, intrigue surrounds the death of the previous pope. A new cardinal shows up, Benitez (Carlos Diehz), who was seemingly appointed in secret to lead a mission in Kabul. The final meeting of the previous pope has implications for his successor, but the records have gone missing. While running the conclave and struggling with being a contender, Lawrence also has to navigate uncovering some of the mysteries the previous pope may have taken to his grave. One of the nuns, Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), may have some of the answers, but does she have her own agenda?
“When Lawrence starts to get votes himself, it creates a kind of crisis because he’s been struggling with his faith.”
Conclave excels at examining these moral dilemmas, overlaying a personal struggle onto a game of political chess match where the stakes are enormous. There’s the added advantage of a ticking clock set by candidates surging in popularity. There may not be enough time to get all the answers.
Much of the credit here has to go to the writers. The film is based on a novel by Robert Harris, but it was adapted by Peter Straughan, who was Oscar-nominated for his work on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Conclave is just as intricate in its depiction of the secretive manipulations of power, although it is more straightforward and approachable.
In some ways, Conclave is the West Wing for Catholicism — it is a sort of glimpse into how the sausage is made, and it shows a bit of the intrigue and corruption while reassuring us that there are good people who can rise above the dirty machine. At the same time, one of the film’s delights is the casual deconstruction of the mythology surrounding the Catholic Church. The incongruity of these people in vestments from the Middle Ages using a modern coffee machine, or dealing with the indignities of modern life, is poignant. And more than a few of them do not live up to the supposed ideals of a priest. All are thoroughly, heartbreakingly human. There’s the hidden reality, and then there’s the projection that we want others to see. That’s the overarching theme of the film — we all hide things and uncover secrets, but what should stay hidden, and what should be out in the open?
Conclave has Oscar season written all over it, from the top-notch writing to the acting to the direction and even set design, where the Sistine Chapel and other hidden areas of the Vatican are recreated to take us into an otherwise forbidden world. But this film is more than Oscar bait — it feels like a timeless classic. It takes us into the forbidden spaces we can’t otherwise know, not just cloistered rooms but deep into the human soul.
Conclave premiered at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival and had its International Premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.
"…We all hide things and uncover secrets, but what should stay hidden, and what should be out in the open? "
