A Review of Conclave (2024) dir. by Edward Berger
Rebel Meter: 7 out of 10
Conclave is a delicious film. I very much felt that the pace, attention to detail, choice of sound effects, and ceremony made the experience poetry for me, interrupted by odd bits of dialogue. This sense of poetic flow seemed to be an homage to Kubrick’s 2001. I say, forget the plot and politics of Catholicism. Get absorbed in all the tradition, lush costumes and backdrops of Vatican City.
The acting was a little uneven. Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow were the weakest of the cast. Lithgow did his best to portray a character that believed in himself to a fault. It could be one of his finer acting roles. Still, neither of them can hold a candle to Ralph Fiennes, who constrasts the movie’s melodrama with melancholic desperation. The role could have seen his Cardinal Lawrence seem ridiculous, but Fiennes makes it something that the audience gets. The actors played their roles in understated ways that were dense with meaning, supported by interesting camera work and cuts.
Don’t misunderstand me. I thought the plot was contrived. It bordered on a parody of the subject matter. It is meant to be a thriller, though. It has the formula: mystery, intrigue, spies, and danger. Or a soap-opera with jealousies, scheming and backstabbing. The plot is also designed to offend no one and possibly everyone.You don’t quite know what its stance is on queerness, equality, and abortion. There is a flat attempt to make the conflicts about conservative versus liberal values. I don’t think, as some reviewers are claiming, that the movie is woke rubbish. It is just an entertaining who-done-it style thriller. I loved it. All of these things combine to entice the audience into an engaging two hours. I wrote a poem about it.
Stop reading if you don’t want me to spoil it for you.
My Synopsis of Conclave (2024) dir. Edward Berger Footsteps. Heavy breathing. A death. Heavy breathing. Long meaning filled looks. An explosion. More heavy breathing. A turtle. A Pope.