30/17
Based on Robert Harris’ 2016 novel “Conclave”
Plot
When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world’s most secret and long-standing events – the selection of a new Pope – he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundations of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Benitez delivers his climactic speech in Spanish. It’s a bit of a stretch to believe that all the other cardinals can easily understand him.
This is a mistaken assumption
All of the cardinals are fluent in Latin by default, and many speak Italian in other conversations in the film. All of these languages belong to the Romance language family, so it’s not a stretch to assume that most of the cardinals would have a basic understanding of Spanish. Sister Agnes: Even though we sisters are supposed to be invisible, God has given us eyes and ears.
A well-written, intelligent, and superbly acted script
Referenced in The Sad Truth: My Review of Conclave (film) – The Awakening Destroys Everything (2024). There should be more movies of this kind, but sadly Hollywood has to oblige and more often than not we are left with stories that explain everything up front and leave nothing to the imagination. I was on the edge of my seat as each new revelation shocked me, right up until the very end.
As I just did
Everyone involved seemed to have a hidden agenda and there was dealing and double dealing aplenty. I highly recommend this, as I highly recommend IMDb, not insisting that each review be 600 words long. That forces me to ramble on unnecessarily at times.