“Conclave” wasn’t made with the Vatican’s involvement; it was shot at the legendary Rome studio Cinecittà. The film, made for about $20 million and scripted by Peter Straughan, is primarily a procedural, albeit one with a spiritual dimension.

Ralph Fiennes is mesmerizing as a cardinal leading the process of choosing a new pope—which plays out like an Agatha Christie locked-room mystery.

PLOT A cardinal running a papal election finds himself investigating a mystery. CAST Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini RATED PG (some mature themes) LENGTH 2:00 WHERE Area theaters BOTTOM LINE Solid, engaging, well-crafted thriller

The politicking of choosing the next pope makes for a riveting film from Edward Berger that also stars John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini

Fiction with thriller elements, “Conclave” purports to unveil how the College of Cardinals elects a new Pope for the Roman Catholic Church.

This October, voters have a choice: do you vote for the candidate you believe in? Or do you vote to keep a right-wing strongman out of power? Ideally, those goals and desires will overlap, and while this question has resonance for American voters this fall,

John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Isabella Rossellini are also immaculate, but Edward Berger’s lofty ambitions falter The post ‘Conclave’ Review: A Fantastic Ralph Fiennes Leads a Pulpy, Hit-and-Miss Papal Mystery appeared first on TheWrap.

While “Conclave” is a visually and sonically stunning exploration of Church politics, it falls short in providing an emotional resolution for its characters and its viewers.

Ralph Fiennes stars as a Catholic cardinal whose duty is to run a contentious election for a new pope in Edward Berger's thriller "Conclave."