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sydkilgore 's review for:
Conclave
by Robert Harris
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too good. Already seen the movie a few times so I knew everything that would happen, yet I couldn’t put it down. Cardinal Lomeli is such a fascinating narrator to be inside the head of and I feel a deep affinity towards him. Wonderfully built tension and drama, though the ending feels a tad rushed and abrupt (felt the same with the movie), and I was kind of let down by Benitez’s speech to Tedesco compared to the screenplay.
I am curious about the page-to-screen nationality changes of the characters— Benitez from Filipino to Mexican, Bellini from Italian to American, Lomeli/Lawrence from Italian to English—when each nationality carries weighty political implications. I’m guessing it was largely a matter of casting, since Carlos Diehz was plucked from obscurity seemingly by divine intervention, and Stanley Tucci and Ralph Fiennes were the two biggest names in the project. But it does seem funny that in the book Lomeli slams England for its apostasy and notes that Tremblay being Canadian is an advantage for “seeming American without being American”, making it seem unlikely that an English or American cardinal would ever be a serious front-runner. But here we are in the age of Pope Leo, so anything’s possible!!
Sorry about all the book/movie comparison, but I think it’s inevitable given the uhhh increased cultural relevance of the movie this year. Both hold up on their own extremely well, but I would probably recommend watching the movie first to see if you’re into the high-drama Catholic intrigue, and THEN read the book to get 10x the juicy details.
I am curious about the page-to-screen nationality changes of the characters— Benitez from Filipino to Mexican, Bellini from Italian to American, Lomeli/Lawrence from Italian to English—when each nationality carries weighty political implications. I’m guessing it was largely a matter of casting, since Carlos Diehz was plucked from obscurity seemingly by divine intervention, and Stanley Tucci and Ralph Fiennes were the two biggest names in the project. But it does seem funny that in the book Lomeli slams England for its apostasy and notes that Tremblay being Canadian is an advantage for “seeming American without being American”, making it seem unlikely that an English or American cardinal would ever be a serious front-runner. But here we are in the age of Pope Leo, so anything’s possible!!
Sorry about all the book/movie comparison, but I think it’s inevitable given the uhhh increased cultural relevance of the movie this year. Both hold up on their own extremely well, but I would probably recommend watching the movie first to see if you’re into the high-drama Catholic intrigue, and THEN read the book to get 10x the juicy details.