CONCLAVE

Director: Edward Berger
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Lucian Msamati, Brian F. O’Byrne

The real process of ordaining a new Pope in the Catholic Church is shrouded in secrecy. The new film Conclave dares to pull back the curtain in the form of a juicy thriller. If you thought American politics and electing a President was messy, watching select members of Catholic College of Cardinals vote on a Pope is just as rich and diabolical. Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence who gets word that the current Pope has passed away unexpectedly. He’s the Dean of the College of Cardinals, which means he’s steering the nomination process. It comes at a time when he’s questioning his own faith and role in the Church. Optics and secrecy come front and center when the Pope’s final days are a mix of contradictions.  Cardinal Lawrence must wrestle with the secrets and lies that come out during the nomination process. There are rumors that the Pope had asked for the resignation of Cardinal Tremblay (Lithgow) a day before he passed. Tremblay is now getting multiple nominations to be Pope. Stanley Tucci plays Cardinal Bellini who would take the Church in a progressive way forward, while Cardinal Adyemi (Lucian Msamati) is quite conservatively old fashioned with his views on the Church. In theaters

Here’s my review