I am a fan of Robert Harris’ books and most of the movie adaptations to them, and Conclave is one that I raced through in a couple of days. Peter Straughan has adapted the story, with Edward Berger, in his follow up to All Quiet on the Western Front, directing. Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence who, when the pope dies, is tasked with organising a papal conclave to elect the next one, and finds himself investigating secrets and scandals about each candidate.
Straughan has done a terrific job. He has retained almost of the political intrigue and, in some ways, did a better job of introducing the key characters. He also made the sensible decision not to include the only major mis-step in the book, a heavy handed hint at the twist that occurs at the end of the story.
Fiennes is one of our most reliable actors and he gives arguably a career best lead performance. As the pressures of the role start to take their toll, he becomes more hunched and spends more time staring at the floor. He also delivers two key speeches superbly and those are certain to be used for clips in the upcoming awards ceremonies. Stanley Tucci is also excellent as the most deserving candidate but one who lacks courage.
There have been some impressive adaptations of Harris’ work, including Enigma, The Ghost (Writer) and Munich, but Conclave is probably the best yet.
Rating: 8.5 out of 10