Conclave (2024)

This film is a co-production between the United States and the United Kingdom, based on the novel by Robert Harris.

Filled with tension and intrigue, it deals with issues of great relevance, such as doubts about faith, the hypocrisy of certain sectors of the Catholic Church, internal power struggles and the deepest secrets of human nature, which is always imperfect.

Although the film has a large cast, most of the weight falls on Ralph Fiennes, who plays a cardinal who acts as the detective in the midst of the power struggle within the church.

His performance is outstanding and could earn him a nomination in the future. Other international actors also have their moments, but with less screen time, they are less relevant.

Among them, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow stand out. Although both are good actors, in Lithgow's case, I was not entirely convinced by his performance; he fails to fully reflect what is said about his character and his intentions and plans are not explored in depth, resulting in a somewhat diffuse performance and a blurred character.

The costumes and sets are well done, although the corridors of the convent are a little overused.

While there shouldn't be too much variety due to the context of the film, at times the setting felt a little repetitive and poor.

However, the other settings are very well detailed; although it wasn't filmed in the Sistine Chapel, it manages to look like it.

I understand that it was shot in one of the most iconic studios in the history of cinema, Cinecittà.

In ‘Conclave’, the disputes of interests among the cardinals, the ideological changes in the church and sensitive issues such as abuse and doubt in the faith of some cardinals are evident. In short, the film humanises both the cardinals and the Pope.

The soundtrack, already a discovery in the composer's previous film, continues to surprise in this one. It accompanies each scene, bringing emotion to the plot, although it does not present a great variety of themes.

As for the adaptation, I don't know the original book, but the pacing is adequate and the adaptation is in line with what is expected of a film of this genre.

The plot twists are bold and may be risky for certain audiences, but they are well integrated into the narrative.

Personally, I find these twists to be unexpected and Edward Berger manages to tell them in the best possible way.