"Conclave": Oscar buzz for gripping Vatican thriller
The pope passes away, and the conclave gathers. The stakes are the highest in the entire Catholic Church. It begins as a game of appearances, factions, arguments, and machinations, just like a good chess match. The new thriller based on a bestselling novel is receiving fantastic reviews from critics. There is already talk of Oscars.
"Conclave" is a political thriller set in the Vatican. After the pope's death, cardinals from around the world arrive to choose the next person to sit on the papal throne. In theory, they are supposed to act as guided by the Holy Spirit. But what's the reality? Games and intrigues begin, dirty secrets are revealed, and opponents are knocked out. Two factions form the conservative and the progressive, each pushing for their candidate. The results of the first round of voting leave no illusion: this conclave will not be swift.
"Conclave" is a film adaptation of the bestselling novel by Robert Harris, whose prose also inspired films like "The Ghost Writer" and "Enigma." The director is Edward Berger, a two-time Oscar nominee who won the "All Quiet on the Western Front" award in 2022. The screenplay is written by Peter Straughan, known for "Frank" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with Gary Oldman. The film boasts a fantastic cast: cardinals are played by Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow. Isabella Rossellini plays a nun who cares for the house where the cardinals stay during the conclave.
"Conclave": reviewers are impressed
The film has already been seen by selected journalists and critics, who unanimously declare that "Conclave" is a triumph. There's talk of another nomination for Berger but an award for Ralph Fiennes for his complex role as a cardinal in a crisis of faith. Vanity Fair calls "Conclave" a "compelling thriller." The Guardian uses the term "juicy adaptation." "Amid such stately ceremony, Berger finds ways to insert gradually escalating tumult and cattiness," reads a review on Vulture. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film provides "a riveting peek behind the curtains of religious power."
