#TIFF24: “CONCLAVE” REVIEW

By Nicholas Porteous

The pope is dead and Ralph Fiennes must find his successor amongst an ever-shrinking field of candidates in Edward Berger‘s Conclave, based on the historical fiction novel by Robert Harris. This is Berger‘s followup to his Oscar-winning All Quiet On the Western Front, and it’s not hard to see the cinematic parallels. 

Conclave is brimming with painterly compositions, a sweeping dramatic scope about as large as Saint Peter’s Basilica, and a great Ensemble Cast featuring Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, as well as a small but memorable turn from Isabella Rossellini. It’s fascinating to see inside the democratic process to decide who holds the power of the church until the end of their days, and this particular race is by no means straightforward. Not all potential (or rather, popetential) cardinals are free of sin, and some do a better job of hiding their indiscretions than others. There’s a Survivor/Hunger Games vibe to the proceedings, with various players scheming, forging alliances and counter alliances, votes cast and renegotiated, and cutthroat eliminations that ripple across the popelitical landscape as the next round of voting begins.

I found myself invested in the proceedings of this twisty-turny plot, but I’d wager Conclave had a significantly smaller impact on me than anyone bringing in their own personal connection to the Catholic Church. While I can understand the political gravity of a new pope in the abstract, the outcome has almost no influence on my life, so I can’t say Conclave’s urgency broke through on a personal level. The drama of the movie can also feel a bit room-temperature just months before the US election. It feels otherworldly to witness people vying for power who are actually held accountable for past behaviour. There is a touch of prescience in Conclave, and some solid universal observations, but at the end of the day, in 2024 I felt more disconnected than I’d like from what is, in spite of its twists, a relatively straightforward work of political fiction. Well-shot, well-acted, well sure–but I don’t see Conclave amassing the same critical and awards momentum as Berger‘s more gripping previous work.

Conclave screens at TIFF ’24:

Monday, September 9th at 3:00 PM at The Princess of Wales Theatre

Tuesday, September 10th at 8:30 PM at Scotiabank Theatre