#TIFF24 Review: Conclave (Special Presentations)

By John Corrado

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 5th to 15th, more information on tickets and showtimes can be found right here.

German filmmaker Edward Berger last exceeded expectations with his 2022 remake All Quiet on the Western Front, a gripping adaptation that went on to win four Oscars. Now Berger follows it up with Conclave, a twisty, talkative thriller set within the Vatican around the fraught selection of a new Pope, and the film is riveting in its own right.

The pope has died, and the secretive process has started within the Vatican to choose his successor. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is overseeing the gathering of Cardinals, which becomes a fight between liberalism and tradition in the Catholic Church. The deceased pope sought more progressive reforms within the church, that Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) wants to continue and expand upon, while Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto) wants the throne to undue this progress. This is contrasted by the seemingly more simple faith of Cardinal Benitez (Carlos Diehz), a Mexican priest who was stationed in Kabul when he arrives at the Vatican for the vote.

Early on, Cardinal Lawrence gives a homily about how doubt and uncertainty make faith necessary, which heavily informs the themes of the film. There is a feeling of not knowing who to trust, as more information is revealed about the papal contenders. The screenplay by Peter Straughan, which was adapted from a novel by Robert Harris, does a compelling job of teasing out more information, making the election ever more complex, weaving in political allegories.

If Conclave takes a bit of time to get going in the first act, the film soon locks us in and keeps us hooked. Even the potentially pulpier qualities of the story are well handled by Berger, whose film doubles as a superbly crafted production. The impressive production design of the inner sanctums of the Vatican is captured by Stéphane Fontaine’s rich, moody cinematography, while tensions are further increased by another thrilling score from Oscar-winning All Quiet composer Volker Bertelmann.

It’s a thought-provoking, challenging work. But if Conclave explores political corruption and jostling for power within the church itself, the film’s handling of faith and belief is sincere, informed by the internal struggles of Cardinal Lawrence. Fiennes delivers some of his finest leading work in the role of a religious man trying to do the right thing while privately grappling with his own doubts. Tucci adds layers of subtext to the (queer-coded) Bellini, while Castellitto believably portrays the piousness of Tedesco.

Berger offers memorable supporting roles to character actors like John Lithgow and Lucian Msamati, while the male-dominated ensemble cast is rounded out by Isabella Rossellini, who is captivating in her few scenes as Sister Agnes, the nun overseeing things in the background. The film offers obvious interest and deep points of discussion for Catholics, while functioning as an expertly crafted thriller for everyone else.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)