‘Conclave’ rave reviews: Ralph Fiennes ‘is an actor of extraordinary expressive nuance’
Edward Berger‘s “Conclave” opened on Oct. 25 to some of the best reviews of the year. Critics heaped praise on this crackling adaptation of Robert Harris‘s bestselling thriller by Oscar nominee Peter Straughan (“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”). A conclave of cardinals gather to elect a new pope after the mysterious death of the Pontiff. Ralph Fiennes stars as the cardinal in charge, who is drawn into a conspiracy. Stanley Tucci and John Lithgow are rival cardinals while Isabella Rossellini is a nun with secrets.
Critics praised the deft direction by Berger. His last film, a remake of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” won four of its nine Oscar bids two years ago including Best International Feature. While Berger was snubbed by the directors branch back then, we are predicting he will reap a bid this time around.
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Many of the reviewers singled out the performance by Fiennes and we’re forecasting that he will score his third Oscar nomination. Past Oscar contenders Tucci and Lithgow also earned good notices as did Rossellini, who has surprisingly never been nominated by the academy. Critics also praised the crafts, with special mention of the score by Oscar winner Volker Bertelmann (“All Quiet”) as well as the costumes and production designs by past Oscar nominees Lisy Christl and Suzie Davies respectively.
Below is just a sampling of the rave reviews that have earned “Conclave” a score of 93 at Rotten Tomatoes,
Brian Truitt (USA Today): “Fiennes lends a vulnerable and earnest demeanor to the honorable Lawrence, while Tucci’s complexity and Lithgow’s antagonism spark their respective rival cardinals. Isabella Rossellini is also spectacular as Sister Agnes, who at first seems to be Lawrence’s nun Friday, giving him a helpful hand with her problem-solving skills, but she becomes one of the film’s chief sources of emotional warmth and moral richness.”
Peter Debruge (Variety): “It’s a quietly conflicted performance for Fiennes, who appears ravaged by Lawrence’s internal struggle between devotion and doubt. In private conversations with Cardinal Bellini (Tucci) — the papabile for whom he repeatedly casts his ballot — he admits to the crisis in his own faith. He’s surprised to learn that the late pope had doubts as well; his were with the future of the church, however.”
Manohla Dargis (New York Times): “Lawrence’s crisis of faith continues, waxing and waning even as the voting comes down to the wire. Fiennes, an actor of extraordinary expressive nuance, makes the character’s struggle palpable; you can see his sorrow, and not just for the dead pope, weighing and almost tugging him down like a millstone.”
Kevin Maher (The Times of London): This is a movie built around, and held together by, performances. It is perversely appropriate that in a film about patriarchal control and the certainties of men, one of the strongest roles is Isabella Rossellini’s as the all-seeing Vatican heavyweight Sister Agnes. Delivering eerily similar close-ups to those of her mother, Ingrid Bergman, in ‘The Bells of St Mary’s,’ Rossellini’s Agnes has only a smattering of dialogue and not enough scenes, but duly dominates the ones she’s allotted. When Agnes and Lawrence face off over Vatican protocol, it is a thing of beauty.”
Stephen Farber (THR): “Berger does a fine job controlling all of these performances, and he also creates a rich atmosphere for the production. The Sistine Chapel and other parts of the Vatican were reconstructed at Cinecitta Studios, brought to life by cinematographer Stephane Fontaine and production designer Suzie Davies. Editor Nick Emerson keeps the action hurtling forward. Composer Volker Bertelmann demonstrates his expertise as well as his versatility with his work here.”
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