Conclave is a papal thriller based on the 2016 novel by Robert Harris and it stars a magnificent Ralph Fiennes. If he doesn’t win an Oscar I’ll eat my hat and also yours. Luckily, the film is also well written, smart, taut and visually stunning. You’d think the costume designer (Lisy Christl) wouldn’t find too much to play with, given it’s all vestments and cassocks, but they are gorgeous. The cardinals can be catty and bitchy and deceptive but I will say this for them: they know how to work red – and those little caps.
The cardinals can be catty and bitchy but I will say this for them: they know how to work red
The film is directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet On The Western Front) from a screenplay by Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the 2011 film version) and begins with the death of the sitting Pope.
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