Conclave

Directed by Edward Berger, Conclave follows a group of priests, led by Ralph Fiennes’ Father Lawrence, as they attempt to elect a new Pope. Filmmaker Berger, armed with Peter Straughan, delivers a well-made, incredibly serious, and far-from-enthralling drama that benefits from its superb production design and raft of above-average performances, as, in terms of the latter, Fiennes’ predictably commanding efforts, which prove effective at anchoring the proceedings throughout, are matched by a first-class roster of periphery performers – with, in particular, Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow offering up scene-stealing work that remains a continuing highlight. And while the picture never becomes as gripping or spellbinding as Berger has obviously intended, Conclave admittedly does boast a small handful of engaging sequences and set-pieces that, when coupled with the actors’ top-notch efforts and Berger’s stately visuals, cumulatively ensure that it generally sustains one’s interest for the duration of its (admittedly overlong) running time.

*** out of ****