Telluride: Edward Berger’s ‘Conclave’ debuts to raves for Ralph Fiennes and more

Edward Berger surprised the industry last year with Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front,” an unexpected awards sensation that landed nine Oscar nominations at the 2023 ceremony and won four: Best International Feature, Best Score, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. So perhaps the nerves Berger expressed while introducing the world premiere of his follow-up film, “Conclave,” at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday night should have been anticipated. After all, what are the chances that lightning strikes twice?

But based on the response inside the Werner Herzog Theater, maybe it will. “Conclave,” already a strong contender in the Gold Derby odds in these nascent days of the Oscars race, lived up to those lofty expectations and could land several nominations at next year’s Academy Awards.

“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,” wrote Scott Feinberg at The Hollywood Reporter.

Based on the best-selling book by Robert Harris and adapted by Peter Straughan (an Oscar nominee for “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”), “Conclave” “follows one of the world’s most secretive and ancient events – selecting the new Pope,” according to the film’s press notes, which weren’t sent out until after the premiere (more on this in a bit). “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.”

It’s a showcase performance for Fiennes, a two-time Oscar nominee who hasn’t been back at the Oscars since earning a Best Actor nomination for “The English Patient” in 1997. The veteran star is in almost every scene, and watching his character try to maintain order while figuring out the angles necessary to select a new Pope is a treat. “He’s remarkable,” wrote David Canfield from Vanity Fair of Fiennes’s work.

But Fiennes isn’t alone as Berger finds room for many great actors to steal scenes, chief among them former Oscar nominee Stanley Tucci, veteran Italian actor Sergio Castellitto, and newcomer Carlos Diehz, who has a key role in the film. “Conclave” also stars Oscar nominee John Lithgow and Isabella Rossellini in a small but crucial role. (The Italian actress, never nominated for an Oscar, has a key moment that landed so well the Telluride audience burst into spontaneous applause.)

In addition to its cast of lauded actors, Berger also put together a top-flight crafts team including Oscar-winning “All Quiet” composer Volker Bertelmann (whose music heightens the film’s thriller aspects), production designer Suzie Davis (an Oscar nominee for “Mr. Turner”), cinematographer Stéphane Fontaine (“Jackie”), and editor Nick Emerson (“Lady Macbeth”). The film’s immersive sound design is also noteworthy.

Back to those mysterious press notes: Focus will release “Conclave” in theaters on November 1 and it would be wise to see it sooner rather than later. The entertaining film’s twists and turns are frequently unexpected and the final beat stunned the Telluride crowd. The film’s conclusion is all but guaranteed to be a conversation starter (not that fans of Harris’s book will be taken by surprise). Those who get to see “Conclave” early — either at other Telluride screenings this weekend or its next stop on the festival circuit in Toronto — would be wise to heed the advice Marvel gave ts fans when “Avengers: Endgame” was coming out. Don’t Spoil the Conclave?