Ralph Fiennes creates holy man in ‘Conclave’

If I could only give a one-word assessment of Edward Berger’s “Conclave,” it would be “unexpected.”

As vague as it may seem, that’s the point. I went into this movie blind, and I’m glad I did, because every twist and turn made me audibly gasp. Based on my limited knowledge, I expected this to be some sort of religious political thriller.

And while this is true in a sense, the film is punctuated with refreshing humor that could disrupt the seriousness of the situation at hand and instead make these ominous, earnest, and devout Catholic figures feel like real, complex people; This only adds to the nuance of the story. Film.

What is ‘Conclave’ all about?

Adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel of the same name, “Conclave” is about Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who is tasked with leading the election of the new pope after the previous pope dies.

As Cardinal Lawrence agonizes over this fateful election, he begins to uncover damning secrets about the late pope and his fellow cardinals that cause him to question his faith, his morals, and even the church itself.

The best part about this movie is the unexpected twists. Just when you think you have it all figured out, Berger manages to pull the rug out from under you again and again.

The 120-minute film flies by as you constantly watch the ping-pong effect of supporting a cardinal become pope, then find yourself rooting against him as more information comes to light.

Director Edward Berger makes the sacred feel like average Joes

When we think of the pope, we think of the holiest man to walk the earth, and that of course means that the men surrounding him are held to that holiest of standards.

What Berger manages to do is create striking images of robed holy figures chain-smoking, scrolling through their smartphones, and generally morally confused, convincing the viewer that these cardinals are more human than divine.

The cardinals are a mixed group of progressives and traditionalists; Some, like Cardinal Lawrence, are constantly at war with themselves to keep up with the times morally and create a new way of life within the church, while holding on to God’s vision.

It is not surprising that Fiennes, who plays the main character, carries his robe on his back for most of this film. Something that never gets old is how incredible Fiennes is at displaying a range of emotions in a subtle and realistic yet deeply effective way.

And he wasn’t the only one. Tucci gives a stunning performance as Cardinal Bellini, one of the new pope’s choices whose heart is often with those not accepted by the church.

“God’s gift to the church is diversity” is a perfect sentence to summarize the overall message of “The Conclave.” While one side struggles to keep everything strictly adhering to tradition, the other side believes that God wants the church to change along with the world, and Berger, along with the performances, never lets the film seem like a sermon.

The only mistake this movie makes is to focus less on the procedure for electing the new pope. While this is touched upon and used to move the plot forward, as someone who knows nothing of how this process works, I would have loved to see the nitty-gritty details of how a new pope would emerge.

Aside from the lack of detail about how a conclave is run, Berger and Fiennes managed to make a religious film feel authentic, non-preachy, and left me with the feeling that maybe there could be hope in religion.

‘Conclave’ 4.5 stars

Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★

Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★

Manager: Edward Berger.

Casting: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto.

Evaluation: PG for thematic material and smoking.

How to watch: In theaters Friday, October 25.

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Meredith G. White covers entertainment, arts and culture for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. He covers the latest news on video games, television, and the best things to do in metro Phoenix.