Telluride: Could ‘Conclave’ Be the Film that Finally Brings Ralph Fiennes an Oscar?

Conclave, the German filmmaker Edward Berger’s follow-up to his Oscar-celebrated interpretation of All Quiet on the Western Front, had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival’s Herzog Theatre on Friday night. And if my gut reaction to the film, and that of industry insiders with whom I consulted after it ended, are any indication, then an Oscar race that has heretofore looked awfully thin may well have found a new top-tier, across-the-board contender.

The film, which Peter Straughan adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel about the aftermath of a pope’s sudden death and the chaotic succession process that followed it, is hard to describe. I suppose “dramatic thriller” is apt, although there are also moments of comedy and horror, with multiple crazy twists that should not be spoiled. Some are likening it to Dangerous Liaisons, others to the quirky films of Yorgos Lanthimos.

What is easy to state is that the film delivers on all levels. Its veteran cast is, unsurprisingly, outstanding, especially lead actor Ralph Fiennes, who plays a cardinal appointed the dean of the conclave and increasingly experiencing a crisis of faith. (Is there a better actor who has not yet won an Oscar? Schindler’s List, Quiz Show, The English Patient, Sunshine, The End of the Affair, The Constant Gardener, In Bruges, The Reader, The Hurt Locker, a million Harry Potter movies — I mean, come on! And this performance is as complex and beautifully-rendered as any of them.)

Very strong in support of Fiennes are John Lithgow, Stanley Tucci and Lucian Msamati, who portray fellow cardinals sequestered in the hermetically-sealed Sistine Chapel, where deliberations take place; and Isabella Rossellini, as a senior nun who quietly observes everything. As with Berger’s last film, this one is also visually stunning, thanks to outstanding production design by Suzie Davies and lensing by Stéphane Fontaine, and an unforgettable score composed by Volker Bertelmann (who took home an Oscar for his equally bombastic and memorable score for All Quiet).

Focus Features will release Conclave in select theaters on Nov. 1, and will then platform it, which seems wise, as all-but-certain awards season recognition will surely fuel interest.