Many people hate on the Catholic Church for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, the reason for the hate can be traced to the failings of people and not the core of faith itself. Despite these failings, we have to acknowledge that the Church accomplished a great deal of good, including guiding Christianity, western civilization even, through some of its darkest periods.
This would not have been possible without an extraordinary level of organizational capability. As the Church grew, it developed systems not only to organize, mobilize, and communicate with its adherents but also to preserve knowledge, maintain infrastructure, coordinate massive humanitarian efforts, improve the lives of countless people worldwide, and raise funds for all these endeavors.
Leading such a vast and complex institution, with millions of adherents spanning continents, cultures, and languages, is no small task. This immense responsibility of leading the Chuch, at least in this world, ultimately falls on one man: the Pope. Of course, being a man, he has his failings and is very much mortal. When he passes on, a replacement needs to be found.
The movie Conclave tells the story of what could be happening during the selection of a new Pope. The process is somewhat shrouded in secrecy, at least for the average person, so the movie is something of a mystery movie, a suspense thriller even.
The powerhouse cast was excellent. There’s Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence, the Dean of the College of Cardinals, who was responsible for leading the conclave. Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini, the leader of the liberal faction. John Lithgow as Cardinal Tremblay, probably the cardinal who wants to be Pope most. Isabella Rossellini as Sister Agnes, administrator of the facility where the cardinals were sequestered, in the background but always hearing, always seeing.
There are also some lesser-known names (at least to me): Sergio Castellito as Cardinal Tedesco, the leader of the traditionalist faction; Lucian Msamati as Cardinal Ayedami, potentially the first Black Pope; and Carlos Diehz as Cardinal Benitez, a last-minute addition to the College from the Diocese of Kabul (is there even such a thing?), the wildcard in the bunch.
The character development was somewhat uneven, but all of the cast were able to convey the gravity and seriousness of their roles. Ultimately, most of the weight was carried by Fiennes. His acting has always been serious, but here, he is even more so. I could almost feel the burden of responsibility and the gravitas he brought as he shepherded the cardinals through the conclave and its many twists and turns.
Definitely a good and interesting watch.