London Film Festival 2024 – Conclave ★★★★

Released: 29 November 2024

Director: Edward Berger

Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini

Robert Harris’ papal thriller Conclave, proved a smash hit in 2016 and is now the subject of a major film from All Quiet on The Western Front’s Director Edward Berger. As in its source material, the film begins with the death of the Pope setting in motion the process of choosing a new Holy Father, the titular conclave. This is to be led by the Dean of The Vatican Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), a long-serving and well-regarded Cardinal.

The process of electing a new pope is kept under wraps in reality, so it is intriguing to get a glimpse of what it might look like behind the curtain. Here as in Harris’ novel, the candidates to become the most powerful man in the Catholic church are conniving, self-centred figures with many of the leading players concealing secrets both large and small, that could jeopardise their position.

The Vatican might seem an unusual place to see a thriller but Berger keeps the suspense high with a faithful adaptation of Harris’ page-turner, bringing the thrills and twists aplenty to the big screen in fine fashion, showing why is now such a sought-after director. One of the biggest strengths of Conclave is its tightness at around the two-hour mark, with the audience rarely afforded a moment to breathe before we are plunged into the next masterful twist.

Ralph Fiennes’ inquisitive and doubtful Lawrence is a voice of reason in a sea of dissent and uncertainty with many of his fellow cardinals unsure which direction the church should move in for its next pope. His main ally is Stanley Tucci’s Bellini and it is a delight to see these two veterans on screen together, up against John Lithgow’s slimy Cardinal Tremblay, a figure who has plenty lurking under the surface. Isabella Rossellini is also a delight in the small but impactful role of Sister Agnes, an all-seeing, all-hearing Nun who has a huge bearing on uncovering some of the truth.

Conclave is a well-balanced, thrilling adaptation that builds on the qualities of its source material and packs in twists and turns aplenty, anchored by Berger’s direction and Ralph Fiennes’ terrific performance, already being marked out for awards attention. With a cast of this calibre, it is hard not to be swept along in the drama unfolding behind closed doors.