Spoiler free!
This week we had the absolute pleasure of seeing “Conclave,” which follows the College of Cardinals in their sequestered enclave as they attempt to elect a new pope. The film was directed by Edward Berger, who you might remember from his 2022 remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front.” With a stacked cast featuring Ralph Fiennes, John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci, and Isabella Rossellini, we went into this movie with high expectations. Dear readers, we were not disappointed.
The first thing to strike us was the cinematography. It was immediately beautiful and captivating, with plenty of shots down long hallways, or framed in doorways, or sweeping overhead as we survey the cardinals making their way through a courtyard. Everything about how “Conclave” is framed feels so deliberate — it felt like every time the camera cut to a new angle, we were leaning in to whisper, “Great shot!” We were frequently struck by the beauty of the Vatican and its architecture, which were often highlighted. They also carefully use color within the wardrobe and setting to highlight the juxtaposition and perfection of each shot. Even if you can’t commit to focusing on the movie and following the story, you should watch “Conclave” just for the beautiful visuals.
The story also had us riveted all the way through. Many of the cardinals were immediately humanized with silly details like smoking cigarettes together or even hitting vapes, as well as some ribbing between them (in more than one language). As the plot went on, the drama picked up significantly. We won’t reveal anything significant here, because we’re adamant that everyone should go and see this knowing as little about it as possible. However, we will say that there were multiple moments that made gasps ring out through the theater. Even with us both whispering incessantly about how in love with each little detail we were, it was like we all were collectively holding our breath, biting our nails, and inching towards the edge of our seats as Fiennes’s character finesses the hell out of each spectacle.
The score, composed by Volker Bertelmann (who won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on “All Quiet on the Western Front”), perfectly complements the mood with lots of tense strings and ethereal choral moments. I (Haley) listened to this score again before writing this review, and by God, it had me locked in. Highly recommend it if you want your homework session to feel high-stakes and urgent. The sound editing in general was also absolutely immaculate. There was so much whispering happening throughout the whole movie, and the drama was always accented with a nice highlighted audio moment. We know, we know, this sounds super vague, but you’ll get it when you watch the movie.
The undeniable highlight of “Conclave” is the cast. John Lithgow has always somewhat weirded us out, and that vibe worked absolutely perfectly for his character, a cardinal who is one of the frontrunners for the papacy but has some suspicions around him. Isabella Rossellini’s Sister Agnes was one of our favorite characters — an absolute girlboss to the max. We love her. We can’t name the entire cast, but believe us when we say that they were all immaculate. The obvious standout who must be mentioned is Ralph Fiennes as Dean Cardinal Thomas Lawrence. We are not exaggerating when we say this is one of the best performances he has put on. He had us absolutely enthralled at every turn, and it felt so natural to connect with his character. His emotions felt very real and raw, and the way his inner conflict developed was palpable throughout. Absolutely stellar performance.
As we walked out of the theater and back home, we found ourselves rehashing over and over our favorite parts of the film, quoting memorable scenes, pointing out little details that we loved, and calling for A BILLION OSCARS NOW! If “Conclave” doesn’t get some serious love come awards season, just be warned. We are rioting.
Leave a Reply