Conclave

...Edward Berger’s Conclave makes for an unusually riveting, fun and entertaining ride, driven primarily by a superbly well-tuned, heavy-duty ensemble packed with star names...

In the separate realm of fiction, my feeling is that a palace intrigue is dramatically most effective when the palace is rotting from the inside -- and that Conclave in particular would have gained from a pinch more cynicism.

What unfolds as the cardinals go to war with each other… is as tantalising as a murder mystery. The candidates become suspects, leaks happen, and questions arise about who is telling the truth.

Conclave does not deserve its drama queen reputation.

... Not just dramatically satisfying, but philosophically satisfying.

It’s all competently performed and executed, with loud booms of sound cued to each scene change as an attempt to ramp up the tension, and lots of behind-the-head tracking shots of cardinals anxiously pacing through corridors and stairways.

A beautifully mounted white-knuckle ride through an ancient election process, with meditations on the nature of humanity

The film works as an entertaining spy thriller set in the corridors of the Vatican, but also as a serene reflection on commitment, power and faith.[Full review in Spanish]

This is a handsomely staged film, peppered with fascinating ritual and detail, populated by a world-class cast, and focused almost entirely on human interaction and moral drama. It is truly sensational stuff.

The film highlights the contradictions between what is preached and what happens: while advocating for the equality of all, the institution is immersed in hierarchies, and strict codes that even its own members fail to uphold. [Full review in Spanish]