Director Edward Berger’s lack of faith in the cheap but potent power of his source material would make the most true-blue believer turn agnostic
Send up the white smoke and slap on your favourite high-thread-count cassock – the world has a new papal thriller in, the new holier-than-thou drama starring Ralph Fiennes makes a decent enough argument that more filmmakers should say Vati-can rather than Vati-can’t. And if you think this review is already cheesy enough to stink up pews filled with pecorino romano, then prepare yourself for director Edward Berger’s actual film, which is like a mass made entirely of mascarpone.
On the side of angels is American Cardinal Bellini , easily the most progressive man to ever enter the Church – to an almost comical degree – and thus the long shot for the top job. Opposing him with devilish glee is Italian Cardinal Tedesco , an arch-conservative who wants to set Catholicism back decades, if not centuries. And in-between is the shady Cardinal Tremblay who, given that he’s played by an eyebrow-wiggling John Lithgow, of course some sort of foul plan in mind.
As agendas unfold and nerves fray – including those of Sister Agnes – Lawrence must navigate shifting realities, long-buried secrets, and a late-film twist that will have audiences alternately shaking their heads or Googling which streaming service currently has the rights to the classic film .Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved./Focus Features
It is all exceptionally dishy, B-movie silliness that Berger constantly and annoyingly tries to elevate into prestige-minded drama, muddying everyone’s fun along the way. As with the director’s 2022 remake of, Berger constantly looks to his collaborator, the composer Hauschka, to unnecessarily beef the drama up to Hans Zimmer-like levels of intensity. The filmmaker’s lack of faith in the cheap but potent power of his source material would make the most true-blue believer turn agnostic.
Fiennes, though, seems to understand the whole assignment best, matching the teeth-gnashing of Lithgow with the steely confidence of a star who knows that he has won his audience over from the film’s very first frame. In another, more hopeful era, Fiennes might have snagged his very first Emmy Award for his work here, given how closeSwitch gears. Give your brain a workout and do today's Daily Cryptic Crossword.
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