The 588th film I have seen in theaters…

Spoilers below

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The Pope has died. As the Cardinals gather for the conclave, the secret election to choose his successor, the Cardinal overseeing the vote becomes aware of secrets that would, or should, sway the decision of who shall lead the church.

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This movie stands on the shoulders of the amazing cast.

Ralph Fiennes leads the cast as Cardinal Lawrence, the dean of the conclave: the man in charge. Stanley Tucci is Cardinal Bellini, the lead candidate of the liberal wing of the cardinals. John Lithgow is the conservative Cardinal Tremblay. Sergio Castellitto is Cardinal Tedesco, the traditionalist that wants to bring the church back to a pre-Vatican II state. Lucian Msamati is Cardinal Adeyemi an economically liberal but very socially conservative choice from Nigeria. Isabella Rosselini is Sister Agnes, head nun of the Vatican. Carlos Diehz is Cardinal Benitez, a mysterious Mexican Cardinal who’s existence was kept secret from the others.

Note that I said nothing about the individual performances in the “plot” section. This was intentional as THIS is the reason to see the movie.

The plot was ok, and the thriller aspect of it was rather tame. The performances are the main draw here. Each of the actors are at the top of their game and bring it. I will note the cinematography: there were some beautiful shots here. I suppose the subject matter provided ample opportunity for iconic shots.

Worth seeing.

7/10

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