Conclave review

 

Recently, I saw Conclave, and here are my thoughts…

We follow the election of a new pope and a cardinal, discovering dark and surprising secrets of the candidates...

 

Conclave's big appeal and focus is on the acting; this cast is stacked with big, reliable, fantastic actors working at the top of their game.

 

You really feel a lot for Ralph Fiennes character, you can tell he’s very conflicted about the church and his beliefs, and he has to deal with some unsavory things, and he really doesn’t want to, but he has to move forward with the betterment of the church. A lot of good acting, and you feel a lot of sympathy. 

John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci are in the movie, and everyone loves them; they’re always great, and this movie is no exception.

Isabella Rossellini is in the movie, and based on the trailers, you think she has a more substantial role, but she’s in the background mostly, which I didn’t expect or the best use of her skills, but she's still solid.

 

There are two surprises in this one: Lucian Msamati, who really gets a chance to shine here. It is nice to see him get an opportunity because he is super talented.

 

There is a Hispanic actor, Carlos Diehz. His character is very soft-spoken and subtle, but he still knows how to steal a scene and puts a lot of empathy and understanding into his performance.

 

This movie is very quiet and contemplative. But it has one of the most effective jump scares I’ve had in a long time.

 

The movie has a lot of scenes of guys sitting around, reflecting and contemplating decisions, so it can get a little long in the tooth in that area, like you’re going to see a lot of Ralph Fiennes face going, "What should I do?"

 

On a technical level, I was really impressed by the framing of this movie. For a film about people talking and sitting around voting, they know how to make it look beautiful; they also have gorgeous Roman religious places to film, so that definitely helps, but the cameraman definitely knew how to shoot it.

 

It was interesting to see what goes into the process of electing a new pope. 

 

I would categorize this as a thriller, but a thriller for your parents or even grandparents.

 

I saw this around 12:30 in the morning,

in a pretty packed small theater, and I was probably the youngest person there by about 20 years. So that kind of tells you the target audience of this movie, but if you’re really into good actors giving good performances, you’ll really enjoy the movie.

 

I wouldn’t say this is the movie you need to rush out and see, like if it’s a lazy Saturday or Sunday and you just like looking for something nice and cozy, but with some intellect attached, I think this would be a fun watch, especially if you’re into like political intrigue or learning about what happens when a pope dies in a new one is elected. I don’t think it will blow your socks off; you will walk away, satisfied.

 

I give it a low three stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️