Conclave

For starters without Ralph Fiennes the film would be far below average. Fiennes over his career is highly underrated in my view. He is fantastic in this role as he tries to conduct the election of the next pope. You can feel his character struggling to try to remain objective. At times he must decide when to make decisions to involve himself or cross lines in order to make sure that fair play in a sense is maintained.

I have delayed this review as I have taken time to ponder over the direction the filmmakers decided to take. In breaking it down my feelings towards it become less and less. While it is interesting while you are in the theatre you later realize that all you were watching was rumours and gossip about different cardinals. The movie is truly a one man show. You see no behind the scenes action or development of the other characters or candidates for the papacy.

The score and sound highly elevate what would otherwise be some very boring scenes.

Lastly the end just throws everything out the window. Most of the movie seems like what one might expect an election at the Vatican to go like, but the end is just terribly unrealistic and somewhat insulting to the rest of the film. It feels like Hollywood just couldn't help but insert itself and make a point where one was not needed.