Conclave
Conclave is a political thriller in red robes. The pope is dead, the
conclave will elect a new pope. The conclave is like any struggle for power.
There is duplicity, ambition and various sins. Some also struggle with a crisis
of faith. The film moves quickly with one revelation after another.
There is a stellar cast. Ralph Fiennes is the dean of the
conclave. The weight of his responsibility wears heavy on him. He is reflective
and makes difficult decisions. He is the central figure of the film. Stanley Tucci
,John Lithgow and the others vie for the position of pope. These pious men are flawed.
Averous, duplicity, prejudice, sins of the flesh and a crisis of faith weight
on them
Isabella Rossellini is Sister Agnes. Her main role is to smoothly
run the conclave. She is strong and speaks her mind.
The film has some iconic images of the Sistine Chapel and
how the conclave is organized. One scene with the cardinals walking in the rain
with white umbrellas is beautifully shot.
The ending is a blockbuster, alone justifying going to this
film. It confronts several social issues.
The film only cost $20m since there was no meaningful CGI. It received
a 96 rating from Rotten Tomatoes.