Ralph Fiennes is electrifying in a way only he can be – "patiently, painstakingly, powerfully" – in this adaptation of Robert Harris's 2016 bestselling thriller, said Tom Shone in The Sunday Times.
He plays Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, the dean of the College of Cardinals, who finds himself presiding over an election – or conclave – in the Vatican following the pope's sudden death from a heart attack. Lawrence would like his fellow reformist Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) to prevail, but Bellini has rivals: a "bombastic traditionalist" (Sergio Castellitto), a "mild-mannered Canadian" (John Lithgow), and a virulently anti-gay Nigerian (Lucian Msamati). Then there's "the dark horse" contender (Carlos Diehz), who was made Cardinal Archbishop of Kabul "in pectore – that is, in secret – by the late pope". The film "is basically '12 Angry Men' with incense and some Latin argumentation", and it's the best adaptation of Harris's work to date: "brisk, smart, and propulsively plotted".
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
How Trump is changing the US-Russia relationshipTalking Points And how will Europe, Ukraine respond?
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talksSpeed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
-
'Whether we like it or not, social media is the public square of the 21st century'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
