Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority.” I wonder if the members of the cloth plotting in the latest Conclave trailer are familiar with this passage. Lucky for them, director Edward Berger is ready to school them as a wicked plot to influence the appointment of a new Pope unfolds. Imagine being the person who appoints the next Pope after the sudden passing of a world-famous and beloved figure. No, thank you. What if we add a conspiracy to the mix? Clutch your prayer beads tightly, folks; it will be a vicious contest.
Here’s the official synopsis for Conclave courtesy of Focus Features:
From director Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) Conclave follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting a new Pope. Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes) is tasked with running this covert process after the unexpected death of the beloved Pope. Once the Catholic Church’s most powerful leaders have gathered from around the world and are locked together in the Vatican halls, Lawrence finds himself at the center of a conspiracy and discovers a secret that could shake the very foundation of The Church.
Edward Berger directs Conclave from a script by Peter Straughan, based on the book by Robert Harris. Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, Carlos Diehz, Merab Ninidze, and Thomas Loibl lead the cast, with Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini also starring.
In today’s Conclave trailer, Ralph Fiennes’ Cardinal Lawrence suspects foul play after the sudden death of the most famous man in the world, the Pope. While attempting to organize the ascension of the holy figure’s successor, Cardinal Lawrence questions the ambitions and loyalty of his compatriots of the cloth as a mystery unravels. With the world watching, evil intent stirs behind closed doors as the choice for a new Pope becomes blurred by doubt and suspicion.
JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray saw Conclave at the Toronto International Film Festival and loved it, saying the film is “phenominally entertaining and has a knockout ending that should generate a lot of talk.”
Will Cardinal Lawrence survive the ordeal? Did someone in his circle bump the former Pope off in a bid for power? We’ll find out when Conclave premieres in select theaters on November 1 and expands nationwide on November 8.