Conclave: A Ho-Hum Mystery with a Stellar Cast (Blu-ray)

The Film:

The inner-workings of the Vatican, and in particular the papal conclave process used to select a new pope, has been a fascinating part of many films over the decades, including "The Shoes of the Fisherman," "The Conclave," and "We Have a Pope," with some merely touching on the subject and others diving into it rather thoroughly. This year saw "Conclave," based on the novel by Thomas Harris, once again bringing the subject into the spotlight in a film that had the secretive process at the front and center of its mystery plot. The novel itself was rather popular, and well regarded by both critics and readers alike, but how will it fare when its story of investigations & deceptions is brought to the big screen?

At the start of the film, the Pope has died of a heart attack, causing the College of Cardinals to gather at the Vatican for the papal conclave, which is to be headed by Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). The gathering includes the last-minute addition of a Cardinal Vincent Benitez (Carlos Diehz), who was supposedly named an Archbishop in secret by the late Pope. As voting begins, there appear to be four popular candidates: Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow), Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), though no one is able to reach the necessary two-thirds majority for election in these early stages. Later on, strange facts come to light, including Benitez's close relationship with the late Pope, as well as a disturbing report that the Pope demanded Cardinal Tremblay's resignation just hours before his passing, ultimately forcing Lawrence to begin an investigation in order to get to the bottom of these mysteries.

Edward Berger's "Conclave," adapted for the screen by Peter Straughan, wants to form a tense, suspenseful mystery around the selection of the new pope, and indeed, you would think that the material would easily allow the filmmakers to do just that, especially when you throw in secrets, scandals, and cover-ups that could lead to terrible ramifications if the wrong man is chosen to lead. However, that's what makes it strangely curious that the mystery presented within ends up being a rather ho-hum affair that doesn't really build up much in the way of tension or suspense, elements that the story particularly requires in order to keep it engaging.

That's not to say that the story itself is especially dull, but that there just doesn't seem to be all that much mystery involved as Cardinal Lawrence goes about his investigation. It basically goes into a kind of repetitive pattern that has Lawrence finding out things that discredit one candidate or another, with the voting going on in the background all the while, before finally arriving at a rather random conclusion that's not particularly satisfying. There are some interesting bits and pieces of development along the way, but again, nothing that does much to form a particularly engaging mystery to sustain these two hours.

That said, the cast does quite a bit to help make up for the somewhat sluggish narrative. This is hardly surprising when you have an ensemble that features Oscar nominees Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, and John Lithgow, as well as Emmy/Golden Globe nominee Isabella Rossellini. The entire cast gives fine performances all around, which benefits the film considerably by elevating the material higher than it would've been without their support and adding more strength to its engaging elements.

All things taken into consideration, "Conclave" ends up being a somewhat middling film. The cast is fantastic, and its beautifully made, but the somewhat bland mystery does end up holding it back a little too much. This is a story that could've been rather powerful if a little more intriguing substance had been added to the mix, but sadly the filmmakers were content with rather mild developments that made for a visually-appealing, but mostly forgettable outing that couldn't quite hit the levels of suspense it was aiming for.

Video/Audio:

"Conclave" comes to Blu-ray in a 2.39:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The picture looks remarkably sharp & clear throughout its two-hour duration, highlighting the film's impressive visuals. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is fantastic, giving you all of the dialogue and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Universal has done a marvelous job in both areas for the film's debut physical release.

Special Features:

Commentary with Director Edward Berger: An informative track that has Berger discussing various aspects of the film.

Sequestered: Inside Conclave (17 Minutes): An intriguing featurette that has the cast & crew taking you behind the scenes of the making of the film.

Conclusion:

Edward Berger's "Conclave" is beautifully made and features a remarkable ensemble that gives fine performances all around, but in trying to craft a mystery full of tension & suspense centered around the selection of the next pope, it ends up falling a little short due to its ho-hum material and repetitive structure, ultimately making for a gorgeous-looking, but mostly forgettable experience.

Score: 3/5

Available on Blu-ray starting today.

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