Conclave is a superb adaptation of the book by Robert Harris. Ralph Fiennes dominates the film as Cardinal Thomas Lawrence who is responsible for organising the selection of the next Pope. His patient and (mostly) dignified presiding over the conclave is a wonder to behold. All in the face of disturbing factions pressing forward their own candidate. All except Lawrence's friend played by Stanley Tucci whose own candidacy is doomed to failure. Even better, in my opinion, was Isabella Rossellini (starred in Blue Velvet in 1986 and Wild at Heart in 1990) as the elderly Sister Agnes. Neil Young in December's Sight and Sound says she "has a big impact despite limited screen time". But ignored in Tom Shone's five star review in the Sunday Times.
Neil also notes the film being shot in "handsome widescreen" and calls it "an engrossing ecclesiastical hoot". I was slightly disappointed by the ending, I guess the final choice of Pope was supposed to be a surprise and one to match the tongue in cheek feel of the movie.
Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield put on a very decent show in We Live in Time. Written by Nick Payne and directed by John Crowley, we follow the pair in their relationship at mixed up points in time. These are a little confusing at first, and keep you on your toes to guess where we actually are. But these type of romantic dramas can be a little stale, and at least this way it keeps you guessing and interrupts it's otherwise distinct theatricality. And just maybe, it's better to see how they met half way through the film and later on when they got together.
But then there are moments when you have to suspend belief, or just despair. How can you have in one person a top class skating champion and then an world class chef? But towering above it all is an award worthy performance from Florence Pugh. The critic Peter Bradshaw describes it as her "muscular, sensual, charismatic presence" and the film was worth it just for that. One very small role for a terrific Kerry Godliman as a petrol station manager and cameos for other British acting talent.
Leigh Singer in the Winter Edition of Sight and Sound tells us that "the film remains eminently watchable" and that the "mutual chemistry is there from the beginning". Tom Shone in the Sunday Times pointed out the "terrific script" and John Crowley's "funny, wise, deeply touching film". I could not agree more.
Again it's Tom Shone in the Sunday Times who came up with a line with which I completely agree. "If great cinematography could a great film make, Robert Egger's Nosferatu would be a masterpiece". Every frame is a delight to the eye, many in a washed out colour it's almost black and white.
Eggers has not only gone back to the source material of the 1922 film, but has paid tribute to Bram Stoker's Dracula, the 1897 book that inspired that movie. Indeed, the 1922 Nosferatu was an unauthorised adaptation of Dracula that mainly changed the names of the characters. So much so that Stoker's widow sued and the court ordered all copies of Nosferatu be destroyed. Except at least a few survived. So for me, I now realise why the plot seemed so familiar.
Now I have to admit to seeing many, many adaptations of the classic vampire story. This one sticks to original except in a small number of instances. Here we have Thomas Hutter (a hesitant Nicholas Hault) sent to the castle of the scary Count Orlok. How he managed to escape left me bewildered. But it's his wife Ellen who takes centre stage. Wonderfully played by Lily-Rose Depp, we not only fear for her troubled state of mind, but why the Count is only interested in her. The film itself is over two hours and for me, the story is not up to this length of running time.
The movie has not had a review in the Reviews section of Sight and Sound magazine, but it is the subject of a feature in the Winter edition. Roger Luckhurst talks to the director. Eggers it is who says "one of the things I like about Nosferatu more than Dracula is that it does distil it into a simpler fairy tale: the story of the demon-lover". Well we certainly saw that in the film, but I thought that this might have been it's only failing.
I was on the lookout for actors who had worked before with the director. Willem Dafoe is here playing vampire hunter Professor Albin Eberhart von Franz, and Ralph Ineson. It was he that I described in my review of Eggers' The Northman as the worlds worst actor. Just to put me straight, here he was excellent.
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