Conclave (2024)

[SeanC]

With the death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with presiding over the conclave to select the new pontifex maximus. While Lawrence is aligned with the liberal faction of the recently deceased pope and his presumed ideological heir Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), alternative candidates include ultra-traditionalist Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), social conservative Cardinal Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), and moderate conservative Cardinal Tremblay (John Lithgow). Shenanigans ensue, involving, among others, a mysterious new cardinal created in secret by the prior pope (Carlos Diehz) and a nun who gives a lot of meaningful looks (Isabella Rossellini).

As has been widely remarked in the reviews, this is a lot more pulpily entertaining than you might initially expect. It's a fun movie, very well-acted and well-made. Some of the Oscar buzz surprised me to an extent (the Academy has certainly recognized worse), but based on the box office this is a successful film for adults, and those tend to get an invite to the table. I think Fiennes' character's spiritual crisis is a bit thinly sketched, but he's terrific in the role and his more managerial concerns are well-depicted.

I'd never seen Castellitto before, but he's a real scene-stealer in his heel role (and with a particularly fun use of a vape pen as a prop).

[Browncoat]

I liked it quite a lot.  In addition to the riveting story, there were some stunning visuals.

[StatisticalOutlier]

On 11/10/2024 at 7:51 PM, SeanC said:

As has been widely remarked in the reviews, this is a lot more pulpily entertaining than you might initially expect. It's a fun movie, very well-acted and well-made.

I couldn't agree more.  I never expected a movie about picking a new pope to be such a rollicking good time. 

On 11/11/2024 at 6:25 AM, Browncoat said:

there were some stunning visuals.

I loved that frequent shot of the hallway with the row of doors on either side, angled just a little bit from the side.  And the sound design was fantastic, too:  those heavy doors closing.

But I have a question (and PLEASE don't spoil yourself if you haven't seen it; I'm a big fan of spoilers because I usually like to know how a movie ends so I'm not all nervous for the two hours leading up to it, but you do NOT want to be spoiled on this one):

Spoiler

So was the new pope a woman?  He said he had a uterus (and ovaries?) that he changed his mind about having removed.  And he talked about how a priest's life is modest, which I'm guessing meant nobody ever saw him naked.  But what about breasts?  Or is it something really exotic like he has a penis but also a uterus?

 

[Browncoat]

I have gone back and forth on that, @StatisticalOutlier, and can't quite decide.  I am leaning toward

Spoiler

woman, and maybe he already had top surgery?  Because why would he be so modest if he had a penis? 

 

[SeanC]

21 hours ago, StatisticalOutlier said:

But I have a question (and PLEASE don't spoil yourself if you haven't seen it; I'm a big fan of spoilers because I usually like to know how a movie ends so I'm not all nervous for the two hours leading up to it, but you do NOT want to be spoiled on this one):

  Hide contents

So was the new pope a woman?  He said he had a uterus (and ovaries?) that he changed his mind about having removed.  And he talked about how a priest's life is modest, which I'm guessing meant nobody ever saw him naked.  But what about breasts?  Or is it something really exotic like he has a penis but also a uterus?

 

With regarding to this:

Spoiler

Cardinal Benitez/Innocent XIV is intersex. He has male external genitalia (or an approximation), hence why he was considered male at birth and into his adulthood, but female chromosomes and a uterus.

He tells Cardinal Lawrence that he did not learn about any of this until he was already a priest, at which point he contemplated resigning but was dissuaded from doing so by the prior pope.

Edited November 20 by SeanC