It’s odd how much ‘Conclave‘ feels like a period drama, given that it’s trappings are set in the modern day. There’s an occasional smart phone seen on screen, arguments about how conservative or liberal the Catholic Church should present itself as, and even tawdry affairs. But even with all that it feels like a piece of history, something that happened that we were just not in the room during. And the setting of Vatican City during the election to choose the next Pope feels ancient and historic, even when cardinals are shooting texts to one another as they form their plans to climb the political ladder.

Ralph Fiennes takes the lead role, as Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He gathers the leaders of the church so they may begin an election after the Pope dies of a heart attack suddenly. As he navigates the murky politics that go with any election he has to measure how much he can trust his friends, his foes, and whether or not to keep secrets from the congregation for the good of the Church.

The table stakes are high, and there’s a good amount of lying, conniving, and back stabbing (metaphorical) that takes place even amongst the most holy and pious of our fellow men. My favorite thing about the movie is the fact that it is such an adult concept, but merits only a PG rating. It’s not often that you can present something to people of all ages and have it contain performances that are this talented. It’s a perfect way for students to take a closer look at the political maneuvers that happen during elections, the lies that are told, and the fact that occasionally (even if only in fiction) people have to face consequences for their actions.

The movie is held aloft by performances and performances alone. There’s no razzle dazzle to the production design to speak of, it takes place almost entirely in the dark rooms that look like lecture halls or cafeterias. Even the grand iconography of Catholicism seems to be toned down for the purpose of highlighting the actors, who all get solid screen time and dialogue to combat with one another as the election unfolds.

Much of the arguing takes place around how much the church needs to bend as it continues in the modern world. Part of what makes the movie feel like a period piece is the occasional diatribe of Latin that gets dropped on the audience. The two sides vying for power are at odds after all. One side wants to go back to the traditional methods, the other side wants to go forward, with the possibility of women being able to become priests. Culture does tend to move on, and if religions are too slow to adapt they may find themselves without a congregation to preach to.

There is a decent amount of a twist ending that may shock the ones that graduated from Catechism. And while it does increase the narrative that the movie has the final note does not a song make. The film works most because of the performances of it’s star players, and if that’s something you can by into you’ll have a blast. The ending is exciting and drives the point home, but it felt a little tacked on for me given how much time was spent on the issue that’s presented right before the credits roll.

3.5/5