Following up his much-lauded remake of All Quiet on the Western Front, director Edward Berger returns with another stirring ensemble piece that will likely garner attention as we enter awards season. 

Conclave, adapted from the Robert Harris novel of the same name, is technically a more hushed affair than Berger’s war epic from a couple years ago but no less subtle in its thematic ambitions. Fortunately, the obvious allegorical parallels go down easier when the story is pulpy papal pap and not a deadly serious wartime fable. Peter Straughan’s screenplay isn’t aiming for an entirely plausible and comprehensive step-by-step account of what happens within the walls of The Vatican during times of transition, but he proves you don’t have to do so when you give a talented cast delicious barbs to volley at one another.

When the pope is found dead following a heart attack, there’s a vacancy in The Vatican, and it’s the job of Cardinal-Dean Thomas Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) to gather the College of Cardinals to select a new leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Sequestered until a majority vote of 72 is reached, the clergymen convene and several lead candidates naturally emerge. Lawrence’s vote is for Aldo Bellini (Stanley Tucci), a progressive whose views Lawrence feels will be a relatively smooth transition from the liberal-leaning former pope. An early favorite hailing from Nigeria is Joshua Adeyemi (Lucian Msamati), certainly more conservative socially than Bellini, but not as much as staunch Italian traditionalist Goffredo Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto). Also in the running is Canadian Cardinal Joseph Tremblay (John Lithgow), who worked very closely with the pope before his unexpected death.

The stellar cast of almost all male performers, also including Carlos Diehz and Brían F. O’Byrne in small but crucial roles, gets a sliver of gender diversity with Isabella Rossellini as the nun in charge of feeding and housing the cardinals during the conclave. 

Most of the runtime — believe it or not, the fastest two hours you’ll spend in a theater this year — is dedicated to shifty-eyed, zucchetto-wearing men whispering about alliances and strategy. By contrast, the scenes with Rossellini’s Sister Agnes have an openness and even empathy to them, which breaks up the ministerial maneuvering nicely. 

Having said that, most of the fun of Conclave is in seeing how these cardinals scurry off to their corners to quietly decide the fate of the church’s leadership, and Peter Straughan’s dialogue is juicy without being preposterous.

Though the plotting, with its potboiler provocations, seems fitting for seedier surroundings, Conclave is nothing if not a first-rate production from any aesthetic aspect. Because of Vatican City filming restrictions, the production couldn’t actually take place within the Sistine Chapel. But thanks to set designers who worked tirelessly, a replica was crafted for shooting. The results are extraordinary, as ornate and thorough as you would expect from the pope’s actual ancient residence. 

The pristine cinematography from Stéphane Fontaine revels in the marvel of this hallowed space, often contrasting hues of red and white to imply the conflict and reverence associated with the duty these men are taking on.

It’s no secret we’re in the middle of a contentious election season, and while Conclave isn’t partisan in its political proclamations, it doesn’t make a secret of tying its events to the selection of the U.S. president. 

“No sane man would want this papacy,” an anxious Bellini remarks at one point, the irony of course being that he is one of those men. 

Though it’s done under the guise of humility and grace, the cardinals participate the same kind of gamesmanship and blackmailing that we’ve seen in countless election cycles before and will no doubt see in the future. While Berger and Straughan aren’t saying anything especially profound with this commentary, it undoubtedly lands better when politics already seem to be on the top of everyone’s minds. 

Paradoxically, Conclave could also function as a diversion for those seeking reprieve from endless campaign texts and phone calls.

New movies coming this weekend

• Playing in theaters is Here, a family drama starring Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, covering the events of a single spot of land and its inhabitants, spanning from the past to well into the future.
• Streaming on Netflix is Time Cut, a sci-fi slasher starring Madison Bailey and Antonia Gentry, following a high school senior and amateur inventor as she accidentally finds a time machine and travels back to 2003, the year her sister was murdered by an unknown killer.
• Premiering on Disney+ is Music by John Williams, a documentary about the life and career of the titular composer and conductor, responsible for an abundance classic pieces of film music.