There’s something I’ve always found fascinating about the inner-workings of the Catholic Church. Even as a devout atheist, I can’t help but fall under the spell of the church’s secretive rituals and arcane rites. Perhaps it’s simply the Dungeons & Dragons nerd in me that forces a subliminal appreciation for these wizards in pointy hats, or maybe it’s because of that time twenty years ago when I sat drinking after work with my friend Walter (a gay Black man) as he explained to me the process by which a new Pope is chosen and the meaning of the different colored smoke.
Maybe it’s because of that time a priest picked me up hitchhiking, drove me hundreds of miles, and bought me a delicious cheeseburger. Could it be that my own struggles with OCD inform my appreciation for the Church’s adherence to tradition, practice, and procedure? In all likelihood, it’s all of these unlinked anecdotes of my life (and more) combined, but one fact remains: for an atheist, and especially for someone who abhors the many crimes and cover-ups perpetrated by the Catholic Church, I think I like their weird shit a bit too much.
Just as the strange attraction I harbor for the traditions of the Vatican is not grounded in any spiritual or religious belief whatsoever, neither is Edward Berger’s fantastic film Conclave. Rather, Berger, along with screenwriter Peter Straughan, uses the death of a pope and the process of choosing a new one as the backbone for an extremely taut and thrilling mystery. Yes, there is plenty of religious talk (if not, why place your film inside the Vatican in the first place), but I’m happy to say Conclave has no preaching whatsoever.
In fact, not only does Conclave lack much of what many may think are highly-regarded tenets of devout religious life, but it actively rebels against them. By inserting the kind of intrigue usually reserved for political thrillers (Straughan co-penned 2011’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, after all), Berger subverts preconceived notions by offering an intelligent and eye-opening look into the factionalism of high-ranking cardinals, the politics behind their ambition (or lack thereof), and the divide between progressive and conservative values in the Church.
Ralph Fiennes leads a tremendous cast of celebrated actors as the College of Cardinals sets out to choose who will succeed the late Pope, a well-liked and comparatively liberal Holy Father. In the running are an American (Stanley Tucci), a Nigerian (Lucian Msamati), a Canadian (John Lithgow), and an Italian (Sergio Castellitto). Dark horses include the British Dean of the College of Cardinals (Fiennes) and an unknown Mexican cardinal who mysteriously arrived from Afghanistan (Carlos Diehz). In the background of this historic undertaking (which takes place within the Sistine Chapel – you learn something new every day, I always say) is Sister Agnes (a marvelous Isabella Rossellini), a no-nonsense nun not to be trifled with but who is also capable of bending the rules when it’s the right thing to do.
If the tightly-written and perfectly paced political thriller aspects of Conclave weren’t enough to hold it together, its cast would no doubt fill in any necessary gaps. And when you combine both of these powerhouse elements together into one cohesive and entertaining narrative full of misdirections, swerves, political maneuverings, and fantastic character acting, we’re in for one hell of a tense ride – all the way to the film’s final moments.
And to this, Berger and Straughan seem to be actively courting controversy by suggesting that one of the most divisive issues in America’s idiotic culture war has reached the papacy and has already been decided upon by the Pope himself. I have no doubt the film’s resolution will piss off plenty of bigots, but I for one welcome their ire and kindly suggest they go straight to hell.
James is a writer, skateboarder, record collector, wrestling nerd, and tabletop gamer living with his family in Asheville, North Carolina. He is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association, the North Carolina Film Critics Association, and contributes to The Daily Orca, Razorcake Magazine, Mountain Xpress, and Asheville Movies.