Edward Berger announced himself as a filmmaker that we need to pay attention to with his masterful adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front, the anti-war classic with a previous iteration that won Best Picture, though for my money Berger’s is the superior version. His followup, Conclave, is seemingly as far away from the battlefield as you would think, the Vatican, but based on another international best seller and with a cast of well known veteran actors Berger takes another intriguing look at a big idea that defines our civilization.
Based on the book by Robert Harris (adapted for the screen by Peter Straughan), Conclave begins as the pope passes away. The cardinals of the Catholic Church must now convene and hold a conclave to elect the new pope, which is overseen by Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). A variety of men are the leading candidates for the papacy, with different motivations and outlooks on the church, portrayed by Stanley Tucci, John Lihtgow, Lucian Msamati and Sergio Castellito. But as the votes are tallied and leaders emerge, Cardinal Lawrence is confronted with a number of hidden truths that make for a chaotic and contentious proceeding.
