173. Best Picture Showcase '25: CONCLAVE dir. Edward Berger

The Best Picture Showcase rolls on with Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a drama about the election of a new Pope after the sudden death of the old Holy Father. Left with the responsibilities of wrangling every cardinal from 'round the world, along with their egos and ideologies, is a soon-to-be-exhausted Cardinal Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes). As the days and rounds of voting wear on, Lawrence fears, especially after the muckraking dredges up personal and professional drama, a wealth of spiritual doubts and a fear of what kind of person will spearhead the next few decades of Catholicism, that the right candidate, the one truly best equipped to be an ambassador of God's word, may be lost to the squabbles and pettiness of imperfect men.This is a chess game, political theater on the world's stage. In some ways, CONCLAVE is brutally honest about the state of the world and its leaders. In others, I find an idealism that Frank Capra may grin at, god rest him. It's this balance between recognizing who we are and where we'd like to be that CONCLAVE dances with the most. How do we bridge the gulf and who's best equipped to lead us there?If you play enough chess, you'll be able to see the winning route from a good distance and this movie is no exception. But Berger always has a good eye and the score sufficiently ramps up the tension. It's not my favorite nominee but I'm glad I saw it.---Follow The Movies on Instagram & LetterboxdThrow a couple dollars in the tip jar!