I’ll be perfectly honest with you: I carried a uniquely Eric Eisenberg nervousness into my Toronto International Film Festival screening of director Edward Berger’s Conclave earlier today. It was scheduled to begin at 11:30am, but I was already my second screening of the day, and my jetlagged brain didn’t get great sleep last night. As much as I was looking forward to seeing the movie, there was a part of me that was concerned that an extended blink might turn into an accidental nap – forcing be to abandon my professional obligations, as I couldn’t rightly critique a film I didn’t fully experience.
As you can tell from the fact that I’m writing this reaction, it wasn’t ultimately a problem, and this can’t be attributed to my body finally processing the caffeine from the half-bottle of Coke Zero I had chugged before heading out of my hotel room. It’s because Conclave is a riveting and outstanding drama that constantly keeps you surprised with fresh conflicts between the brilliant collection of characters – brought to life with phenomenal performances from some of the best actors in the industry today.
Based on the book of the same name by author Robert Harris, the film centers on Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who finds himself with the responsibility of conducting a papal conclave following the death of the pope. Initially, it seems as though the sequestered election in Vatican City is a two-horse race between the well-liked and modest Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) and the ultra-conservative Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), but it only takes the first round of ballots to throw everything into disarray.
In addition to far more nominees being named than expected, including Lawrence himself, there are controversies that swirl around candidate Cardinals Tremblay (John Lithgow) and Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and there is also the mysterious arrival Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), an in pectore cardinal who arrives from Kabul, Afghanistan.
If you’re a fan of the outstanding television series Succession, you’re going to find that Conclave hits a lot of the same buttons of delicious drama (albeit on the whole, the characters are far less contemptable). The thirst for power rears its head in many forms as men vie to be the leader of the Catholic church, and the constant stream of politicking, backbiting and revelations of secrets is enthralling. Dynamics are always shifting with each new ballot that is cast over the course of several days, and while the collection of cardinals is meant to be cut off from the rest of the world, there is a persistent flow of fresh intrigue that keeps the audience guessing.
Given the bounded scale of the story, Conclave puts all of its energy into establishing the various personalities, which not only enhances the intrigue but also creates the stakes. Whether it’s because of what certain political stances might mean for the future of the church or because of what some of the men are willing to do to win the election, you clearly understand that some of these people should most definitely not be named as the new pope, and the audience gains a hunger to see potential power ripped from their grasp (again, I’ll make a Succession comparison).
Bringing these characters to life are actors whose names you’re going to be hearing a lot in the coming months, as they are going to be big parts of the upcoming 2024 awards season chatter. Ralph Fiennes is the amazing lynchpin of the ensemble, wearing intense stress and burden on his face as Cardinal Lawrence orchestrates the titular papal election while dealing with a crisis of faith in the church, but Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Carlos Diehz and Lucian Msamati deliver some of the best supporting actor performances of the year, as it’s stunning in reflection to recognize how much our perspectives on their roles change from the film’s beginning to end.
On top of everything else, Conclave is also a beautiful piece of art to look at, and is in no way hindered by the story’s limited number of locations. With great credit going to Stéphane Fontaine and costume designer Lisy Christl, the contrasts of red and white are vivid and gorgeous, and there are individual shots that breathtakingly evoke paintings of the renaissance.
Packing in a twist at the end that ironically had me whispering, “Holy shit!” Conclave will be remembered as one of my favorite theatrical experiences of 2024. Far from a dry, Catholic Church-centric drama that will make your eyelids feel heavy, it’s exceptional in every way, and a movie you will want to see as soon as it hits theaters on November 8 so that you can avoid all of the massive spoilers.
