Conclave (Edward Berger, 2024, UK/USA)

Edward Berger's follow-up to his 2022 adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, Conclave is another literary adaptation. This time the source is Robert Harris's 2016 novel Conclave, a pulpy thriller set around a papal conclave electing a deceased pope's successor. While we are not familiar with its source material, Conclave the film is representative of a middlebrow sensibility that used to be quite common in American cinema but has since fallen out of favor. It is a film that nearly anyone could watch with interest, but it is first and foremost a film for adults. While the subject matter is serious, there is a certain levity that prevents it from becoming ever too serious.

Conclave is also an ensemble film in the true sense of the word - there is no one "shining star" in the entire cast. The cast is a who's who of respectable performers - Ralph Fiennes leads the show, accompanied by - among others - Stanley Tucci, Jon Lithgow, and Isabella Rosellini. Fiennes is our window into the world of the film, as he serves as a meeting point for various factions within the conclave who seek to see the Church go in a more conservative or progressive direction.

While the political parallels here are quite obvious, and Conclave can verge on a kind of silly self-seriousness, the film is breezy and light enough to not overstay its welcome - much like a great "airport novel." The film even has a twist ending that may raise some eyebrows. Overall, Conclave is a perfectly inoffensive and well-crafted piece of cinema that is likely to garner more than a few awards during awards season (it has already been given numerous nominations). Conclave stands out more than its contemporaries for what it is not than what it is.

6/10