Hopeful, relevant, and necessary.

The current Pope succumbs to illness… and so begins the rites and rituals to select the next leader of the Catholic Church. Gathered to Vatican City and sequestered within the Sistine Chapel, every cardinal under the age of 80 arrives to choose the new supreme pontiff. Surprised by his appointment as conclave leader, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked to oversee the College of Cardinals’ selection, advised by his friend and fellow cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci). As liberals close to the former reformist pontiff, they fear a staunch conservative candidate would be detrimental to progress the church has made over the last century. Complications include the Pope’s last conversation with Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), the watchful eye of overseer Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini), and the unexpected arrival of Archbishop Benitez of Kabul (Carlos Diehz), appointed a cardinal in pectore (in secret). With growing unrest in a seemingly doomed world, the faithful watch for white smoke to rise from the Vatican’s rooftop, signaling the selection of a new Pope… oblivious to the machinations within.

In the 2016 novel “Conclave” by British writer Robert Harris, the secrecy behind selecting one of the most powerful religious leaders in the world is laid bare. Helmed by All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger working from an adapted screenplay by Peter Straughan, the unnamed Pope becomes obsessed with rooting out corruption in his church until he is no longer healthy enough to do so, a leader popular with the masses for religious inclusion that offends fear-mongering fundamentalists — why does that sound so familiar? The trailers for the film adaptation teases the ritual of the occasion, the politics of garnering support, and unthinkable betrayals, all while trying to ignore the outside world that could influence the outcome. For those who aren’t religious, have zero cares about Catholicism, and/or believe the Pope is pointless, there’s still the mystery of it and its ultimate resolution… and the unfathomable power that comes with the title. It can’t hurt just to peek behind the curtain, can it?

While the accuracy of detail is what one expects from a journalist-turned-novelist, make no mistake: this is fantasy, “The West Wing: Vatican City.” Fiennes’ renamed-from-the-novel character Lawrence even hangs a lantern on it, lamenting his vote for the least bad option being (correctly) akin to American politics. Unlike films such as last year’s The Pope’s Exorcist, the fantastic elements give way to pure court politics while characters are forced to outmaneuver their rivals within that very framework. The uniformed cardinals are housed within cold marble walls and steel-shuttered windows casting votes written on cardstock, an archaic pageantry that jarringly contrasts with sudden modern conveniences like high-end instant coffee makers and secure computer terminals. With the pedigree of the cast, the weight of their task, and the urgency of the editing, this simple story evolves into a tangible thriller in spite of a final reveal that’s too much to hope for.

The production does a sly job making everything look like something outsiders are never supposed to see, similar to the fanciful imaginings of the forbidden Vatican archives from The DaVinci Code and similar religion-based conspiracy films. The palette is restricted to blacks, grays, and reds with splashes of white and gold, whether it’s the appearance of individual rooms or ceremonial garments for a particular function. For powerful men who’ve forsaken worldly possessions, there seems to be little want, highlighted by the nuns silently waiting hand-and-foot on their charges. With a main character disenchanted with such niceties as necessities, it’s easy for audiences to relate to Lawrence’s internal crisis of faith and a prior attempt to resign his post. In an organization subjugating its volunteer women in the same way alternate lifestyles are deemed beyond redemption, reverting to the more restrictive doctrines of the past sounds in no way like a positive recruitment strategy, and it’s no accident this is a recurring theme throughout.

Ralph Fiennes elevates his material as if it were his final role, and he’s the best reason to watch. The other, of course, is the sheer fantasy any organization renowned for its obscene wealth and the power to make vile accusations go away could inexplicably re-emerge as a force for actual good. To quote the writings of Terry Pratchett, “You have to start out learning to believe the little lies.”

Conclave is rated PG for thematic material, smoking, and putting your God-given eyes and ears to their best use.

Four skull recommendation out of our