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A review by Shlomoh Sherman January 20, 2025 Read about Conclave On the Internet Movie Data Base |
Conclave (2024) Plot Synopsis: When Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope, he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church. Director: Edward Berger Writers: Peter Straughan, Robert Harris Genres: Drama, Mystery, Thriller Stars: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini Release date: October 25, 2024 (United States) Countries of origin: United Kingdom, United States Languages: English, Italian, Spanish, Latin Filming locations: Cinecittà Studios, Cinecittà , Rome, Lazio, Italy Production companies: Indian Paintbrush, Access Entertainment, Film Nation Entertainment Box office: Budget $20,000,000 (estimated) Gross US & Canada: $31,730,000 Opening weekend US & Canada: $6,601,995Oct 27, 2024 Gross worldwide: $76,454,684 Technical specs: Runtime: 2 hours Color: Color Sound Mix: Dolby Digital Awards: Nominated for 12 BAFTA Awards, 53 wins & 246 nominations total Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Rated PG for thematic material and smoking. Parents Guide: See below |
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Storyline: It's been quite a while since I have written a movie review but this film so captivated me that I want to share some of my thoughts about it. It is no secret that religious organizations sometimes find themselves embroiled in controversy, and more, scandal. And the Vatican is certainly no exception. The film opens with the aanouncement that the Pope has died. A British cleric, Cardinal Lawrence, is given the task of running the Conclave, the process by which a new pope will be elected. During the process, Lawrence discovers facts about incidents that happened during the late pope's tenure. One of the incidents that comes to light concerns Cardinal Adeyemi who has taken a large lead in the second ballot.Adayemi had an affair with Sister Shanumi, a Nigerian nun. Shanumi tells Lawrence and the other cardinals about her illicit relationship with Adeyemi, during which she became pregnant with his child whom she gave up for adoption. An Archbishop, Vincent Benitez of Kabul, arrives. It turns out that he was secretly named cardinal one year earlier by the deceased pope. Some of the cardinals are surprised that the Church has a cleric in Afghanistan, wondering exactly howw many Catholics are living there, considering it would be a dangerous place for Christians. Lawrence's assistant, Raymond O'Malley, learns the late Pope paid for Benitez's plane ticket to Switzerland for a medical appointment that was canceled. Later in the film, Benitez confides to Lawrence that the procedure he was to have in Switzerland wss the removal of a uterus and ovaries. But Benitez ultimately came to the conclusion that since God had created him as an intersexual, that must be what God wants him to be. Lawrence learns that there are documents in the late pope's quarters that contain incriminating evidence about several cardinals.He breaks into the Pope's quarters and considers burning thec documents. During the sixth ballot, an Islamic terrorist bomber attacks Rome, killing many and damaging the Sistine Chapel. One cardinal, Tedesco, blames Islamists and calls for a religious war, while Benitez says violence should not be met with violence. The College overwhelmingly elects Benitez on the seventh ballot, and he chooses the Papal name of Innocent
As usual, I include in my movie reviews, at excerpt from at least one reviewer on IMDB.
RIDICULOUS ENDING MARS AN OTHERWISE PERFECT FILM
I believe that the ending to a film is the most important part. What will you leave the audience with? What is your final statement to them? Well, in this movie, it's so contrived, confusing, and absurd that any final statement becomes muddled, and I left the theater with a bad taste in my mouth. The ending is so unrealistic that it threatens to destroy every frame of what came before. It is done purely to make a statement about the Church and to shock the audience. Now, this doesn't ruin the movie as a whole (not to me, anyway), but it does unfortunately mar an otherwise superb film.
KUDOS TO Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence. His filmography is so well known to movie goers, includes Schindler's List, The Menu, The English Patient, Red Dragon, and several Harry Potter
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Did you know Trivia: Many of the actions Cardinal Lawrence and the rest of the cardinals take during the film's conclave process are accurate to the Catholic faith and centuries of tradition. Goofs: Quotes: Soundtracks: Conclave (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) |
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PARENTS GUIDE FOR CONCLAVE (2024)
Content rating: Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Rated PG for thematic material and smoking. Certification: SEX & NUDITY: Violence & Gore: Profanity: Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Frightening & Intense Scenes: Sex & Nudity: Violence & Gore: Profanity: Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking: Frightening & Intense Scenes: |
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Conclave (2024) Top cast: Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, a British liberal and the Dean of the College of Cardinals |
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