It’s eight years to the month since I read Robert Harris’s novel Conclave, yet it made enough of an impression for me to be interested in seeing the film adaptation. I think I bought a copy of the book for my mum. Anyway, the novel—and therefore the film—concerns the political machinations of the conclave of cardinals as they meet to elect a new pope. Various factions fight for dominance, with the main schism between those who think that the church should return to older traditions and those who believe that it should become more inclusive. Wendy, who came with me, hasn’t read the novel.

We both enjoyed the film: we were impressed by the cinematography, the music, the sound design, and the casting. We were also both impressed by the dialogue, which felt true to life, and Wendy felt that the twists and turns in the plot were well-paced. It was an enjoyable couple of hours, and I felt that it made the most of its source material.

Our main criticism is that the film is a self-contained curiosity. Much like the novel, it doesn’t seem to have much to say about the world outside of the church: it is quite insular. It’s not a film that either of us will still be pondering a week later—but I suspect we’ll still remember it as a good evening out.