Edward Berger’s “Conclave” will be contending for many Oscars, I currently have it at #2 (behind “Anora”) in my Best Picture predictions, and also Ralph Fiennes #2 in the Best Actor race (behind Adrien Brody).
The film has been doing very well at the box-office, having already amassed $23M domestically. Paul Schrader was one of the ticket buyers, and is a major fan of Berger’s film. He recently went on his Facebook to chime in with his thoughts on “Conclave,” which he calls a “masterpiece of imagery.”
CONCLAVE is an excellent film on many levels. 1. An anthropological look into a society known only to a few 2. Intellectually rigorous and complex 3. A masterpiece of imagery. The shots are primarily static, each composed with a precise painterly eye. Among the year's best. Not to be missed.
In Berger’s film, the pope has just died. The papal conclave, led by the Dean (Fiennes), must now elect the next Pope for the Catholic Church. The lies start to pile up, and so does the backstabbing. There’s never a dull moment, and Berger is clearly making allusions to today’s turbulent political climate.
The film is gorgeously shot by Stéphane Fontaine, utilizing the scale and scope of the Vatican to its own advantage and delivering powerful compositions and slowly creeping zooms. Fontaine’s usage of color here is second to none.
Berger’s thriller is filled with twists and turns; a knotty affair, recalling ‘70s cinema, that is also immensely entertaining. The cast is gangbusters; Fiennes is brilliant and Oscar-worthy, but shoutouts must also be given to a stellar supporting cast that includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.
“Conclave” currently sits at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and 79 on Metacritic.