Promising a tell-all on just what happens after the Pope dies and a new one has to be chosen, Conclave soon starts to feel - from the way it's shot and the well-deployed music - like it might turn into a murder mystery thriller. Murder or not, there sure are a lot of secrets in the Vatican, and since the Catholic Church has a hierarchy, it's a sure bet the most ambitious of them are already cardinals and vying for the position using every political trick in the book. Great intrigue (audible gasps from theater goers) and Ralph Fiennes can do no wrong here as the man tasked with managing the election. Ultimately, this is about how the Church can maintain itself by either leaning on tradition or evolving with the times, and in that way, it's relevant to our current political landscape. It deals fairly with the Vatican's failures, but also makes a decent pitch as to its relevance and worth. My only complaint is the low saturation look, which makes the film dingier than it needed to be even with the windows shuttered for sequestration.
It's been a while since I have been so engrossed into a drama. The narrative was beautifully built right until the very end and it's a pleasure to watch a script so well crafted, not only to entertain and to keep audiences at the edge of their seat but also to provoke thought and to portray realistic characters in all their flawed humanity.
All this crowned by layered performances from the superb cast and a direction that was always on point. What more can you hope for?
Knowing nothing about this film, during the first 10-15 minutes I thought it was a whodunnit LOL.. then it evolves into a typical Vatican drama until the twist at the end that honestly I didn't see coming....
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Siskoid
Promising a tell-all on just what happens after the Pope dies and a new one has to be chosen, Conclave soon starts to feel - from the way it's shot and the well-deployed music - like it might turn into a murder mystery thriller. Murder or not, there sure are a lot of secrets in the Vatican, and since the Catholic Church has a hierarchy, it's a sure bet the most ambitious of them are already cardinals and vying for the position using every political trick in the book. Great intrigue (audible gasps from theater goers) and Ralph Fiennes can do no wrong here as the man tasked with managing the election. Ultimately, this is about how the Church can maintain itself by either leaning on tradition or evolving with the times, and in that way, it's relevant to our current political landscape. It deals fairly with the Vatican's failures, but also makes a decent pitch as to its relevance and worth. My only complaint is the low saturation look, which makes the film dingier than it needed to be even with the windows shuttered for sequestration.frankqb
Directed with a very steady hand that made the whole thing seem breathlessly easy, the cast is equally smooth.Ultimately, the mystery is thin and patchy, though ends poignantly.
Rock solidly made, but not Sherlock Holmes.
4.5 stars out of 5
BadFluffy
It's been a while since I have been so engrossed into a drama. The narrative was beautifully built right until the very end and it's a pleasure to watch a script so well crafted, not only to entertain and to keep audiences at the edge of their seat but also to provoke thought and to portray realistic characters in all their flawed humanity.All this crowned by layered performances from the superb cast and a direction that was always on point. What more can you hope for?
jm_london
Knowing nothing about this film, during the first 10-15 minutes I thought it was a whodunnit LOL.. then it evolves into a typical Vatican drama until the twist at the end that honestly I didn't see coming....