** SPOILER AHEAD **
Slow, boring and depressing with a ridiculous twist towards the end which left me screaming at the fact that I'd invested and effectively wasted 2hrs in this flick.
Like other reviewers here, I was drawn to this movie bc of the stellar line-up of actors, Tucci being one of my fave chameleons who usually nails every character he takes on. Not so in Conclave - imho, he was the least convincing cardinal to have ever occupied the Vatican.
Same goes for John Lithgow whose celebrity profile outshone his acting ability here - I couldn't get Dick Solomon wearing a zucchetto out of my head. Isabella Rossellini's acting seemed perfunctory and I felt a rather obvious move to bring some female presence to the movie.
By contrast, Ralph Fiennes as Cardinal Lawrence was brilliant. I felt drawn to the scenes he was in and rather uninspired by the rest.
By far the most outrageous part of this disastrous piece was towards the end, when pope-elect Cardinal Benitez disclosed his (rather predictable) gender problem and admission to a Swiss clinic some years earlier for a "laparoscopic hysterectomy" which didn't end up happening. Omg I nearly jumped up and left the cinema at that point, shaking my fist at the screen for wasting my money.
On outpouring his struggles to Cardinal Lawrence and delivering a predictable monologue on equality and certainty and doubt (themes which run through the movie), Cardinal Benitez is appointed to the hot seat and they all live happily ever after. Never mind the religious dilemma of sexuality and gender confusion - the film introduces it but then glosses over it in a way that implies none of it matters anyway (if only the real world could take note!)
Conclave had all the makings of a blockbuster movie (and lord knows, Hollywood is in need of one) but failed big time to make its mark on me.