Arts & Culture

Conclave
Where: In theatres
What: Movie, 99 mins.
When: Now
Genre: Drama
Rating: NNN (out of 5)
Why you should watch: Ralph Fiennes and triumvirate of Hollywood stars give masterful performances in slow-moving look inside the Vatican.

AFTER THE DIZZYING destruction of his Oscar-nominated film All Quiet on The Western Front, director Edward Berger slows things down a bit — a lot — with Conclave, the slow-moving but well-acted look inside the process of electing a pope.

The cast is superb, though a first hour that spends a lot of time showing people filling in ballots and having whispered discussions will try the patience of most filmgoers. Conclave is a slow boil, but it fully heats up as intrigues and even bombs boil over in the second half. Ralph Fiennes is a steady presence in the film as Cardinal Lawrence, giving a guaranteed Oscar-nomination-worthy performance as the troubled and suspicious leader of the Conclave that must elect a new pope.

Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini and John Lithgow as Cardinal Tremblay both expertly play two contenders on opposite sides hoping to lead the papacy. Depending on how deeply Oscar embraces this look at the inner workings of the Catholic Church will determine if either of the pair nabs a Best Supporting nom — both should be considered.

Isabelle Rossellini plays Sister Agnes, a nun of few words on the fringes of all the men’s manoeuvring who will ultimately play a key role in the intrigues. Conclave is the kind of “prestige” film Hollywood used to regularly churn out featuring A-List veterans playing “meaningful” roles dripping in depth. Often an excuse for some accent work, films like Conclave announce their importance from the first frame, and the all-business performances from top actors underline the effort.

Ultimately, one’s appetite for Conclave depends on how interested one is in the minutiae of the largely discredited leadership of the Catholic Church and if great performances are enough to make up for the lack of the preceding.