Edward Berger’s Conclave, adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel, is a taut political thriller steeped in ecclesiastical intrigue and rich visual artistry. The film follows British Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) as he reluctantly oversees the secretive process of electing a new pope after the sudden death of the incumbent. What unfolds is a gripping tale of ambition, morality, and the power struggles within the Catholic Church

A cleric of uncertain faith if unwavering convictions about everything else, Lawrence has droopingly sad eyes and refined sensitivities and serves as the dean of the College of Cardinals, the group charged with selecting the new pope. Lawrence is on the move when the story opens, hurrying through dark streets and into a brisk drama filled with whispering, scurrying men, one of whom will be anointed as the new earthly head of the Catholic Church

The cardinals keep whispering and scurrying as the story quickly revs up. Lawrence has been enduring a personal crisis –  Harris calls it “some kind of spiritual insomnia” –  and had asked the pope (Bruno Novelli) if he could leave Rome for a religious retreat. The pope denied him, telling Lawrence that while some are chosen to be shepherds, others must manage the farm. With the pope dead, the reluctant Lawrence begins managing, a duty that involves herding scores of cardinals through the intricacies of the conclave, Latin for a room that can be locked. First, everyone needs to be sequestered until the announcement of “Habemus papam” (“We have a pope”), but until then, it’s every cardinal for himself

Berger masterfully orchestrates an ensemble cast, including Stanley Tucci as the progressive Cardinal Bellini, Sergio Castellitto as the ultra-conservative Cardinal Tedesco, and Lucian Msamati as Cardinal Adeyemi. Each represents a faction vying for control of the Church’s future. The performances, particularly by Fiennes, anchor the film with a profound sense of internal conflict and humanity. Isabella Rossellini’s nuanced portrayal of Sister Agnes brings a feminist critique to the male-dominated power structures of the Vatican, adding depth to the narrative

Berger, as he exhaustively demonstrated in his last movie, “All Quiet on the Western Front,” likes to keep things – characters, cameras – moving. Here, he finds a more harmonious balance between stasis and action. When the cardinals are tidily assembled in the Sistine Chapel for the conclave, facing one another at long tables that flank the room, you can feel the momentum in the men’s ricocheting glances and rigid stillness. Although he doesn’t overdo it, Berger also likes to place the characters, though particularly Lawrence, right in the middle of the frame, which may be a sly nod at Renaissance perspective but also dovetails both with the ceremonial orderliness of this world and with the lugubrious rituals of the conclave.

Lawrence’s crisis of faith continues, waxing and waning even as the voting comes down to the wire. Fiennes, an actor of extraordinary expressive nuance, makes the character’s struggle palpable; you can see his sorrow, not just for the dead pope, weighing and almost tugging him down like a millstone. At one point, while seated among the other cardinals in the Sistine Chapel, he looks up at Michelangelo’s monumental “The Last Judgment” and fixes on the figure of a damned man, a hunched, visibly distraught soul who’s being dragged to hell by devils. It’s a moment that suggests Lawrence’s spiritual turmoil, a struggle that, in turn, expresses the larger, more profound questions — theological, organisational — facing the church

Conclave builds tension as secrets come out and positions shift, with Ralph Fiennes’s character acting almost as a detective to uncover the truth of every candidate for Pope. The film ends with a shocker, but there are no spoilers here. You’ll have to see it to find out, and you won’t be sorry you did, as Conclave is one of the year’s best, with Oscar potential on multiple levels

The film’s cinematography by Stéphane Fontaine deserves special mention. It transforms the Vatican into a visual marvel with its Renaissance-inspired aesthetic, intricate use of colour, and striking contrasts between light and shadow. Peter Straughan’s screenplay navigates complex themes of faith, modernity, and tradition, making the political stakes palpable while keeping the audience guessing with constant twists and that shocking finale

Conclave is a cinematic tour de force that combines stellar acting, exquisite visuals, and a riveting story. It’s one of the standout films of 2024 and a ‘must-see’ for fans of cerebral, character-driven dramas with a political edge