Opening Gala: Conclave
The Pope has died and Cardinal Lawrence (a quietly commanding Ralph Fiennes) must lead the Conclave, one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, to select the new leader of the Catholic world. Surrounded by high-ranking cardinals, the hallowed hallways of the Vatican become the locked-down stage where this timely and tense papal thriller - that rivals anything a political election could conceive - plays out.
Adapted by Peter Straughan (Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy) from Robert Harris’s best-selling novel and directed by recent Oscar winner Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), the stellar cast, including Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini and Ireland’s Brian F. O’Byrne, delivers a heart-stopping thriller where deep secrets and factions are revealed that could shake the very foundation of the Roman Catholic Church.
The ever-unwinding drama, amplified by stunningly sumptuous cinematography and a towering score maintains its surprise and intrigue right up to the finale.
Courtesy of Black Bear