Ralph Fiennes: "Conclave"

"Conclave" follows the template of a murder mystery; crimes occurred in the past, and it's one man's job to uncover the crimes. As he does his investigative work, new threats arise, in the present, and we may sometimes wonder if our detective might soon lose his own head.

Like "Murder on the Orient Express," "Conclave" gives several hammy actors an opportunity to chew scenery. This is delightful. We may not "believe" everything we see on screen, but if Reverend Mother Isabella Rossellini gets a chance to "sass" Ralph Fiennes, who will object? If the script asks John Lithgow to have a high-stakes, public tantrum, are we going to worry about the details? No. We are going to enjoy the tantrum.

The other obvious treat here is the "Vatican imagery." I don't think this film deserves the Oscars it seems to be courting, but I had a good time.

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