If you like political drama, there’s nothing more gripping than The Politics of The Papacy. Directed by Edward Berger, Conclave begins with the now-deceased pope on his deathbed. The assembled cardinals pray over his corpse, but it is obvious the machinations have already begun. The question on everyone’s mind is this: which man will be the next pope? The Catholic Church’s senior leaders mull this question over while (mostly) silent nuns scurry in the background making lunch.
The psychological thriller’s plot centres around Cardinal Lawrence (played with aplomb by Ralph Fiennes), who had hoped to retire but is pulled in to run one last job. In a Gangster Movie, that last job would be robbing the safe of a prestigious bank; in this film, that last job proves just as unsavoury as planning a heist; running the conclave that will choose the next pope.
The contenders for the new Pontiff are a Murderers’ Row of actors over 60. Will it be the entitled Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellito), who believes the next pope must be an Italian while also espousing theological positions from The Middle Ages? Or perhaps Cardinal Bellini, a progressive (Stanley Tucci)? Unfortunately for our aspiring Holy Fathers, more than one would-be pope has some skeletons in his closet.
Full of beautifully written monologues on the nature of faith, Conclave simultaneously demonstrates that “no sane man would want to be pope” and that really, everyone does. It is a fascinating meditation on power and the purpose of religion in modern society.
- Genre: Drama
- Directed by: Edward Berger
- Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Sergio Castellitto, Stanley Tucci
- Written by: Peter Straughan, Robert Harris
