When the annual Academy Award nominations are announced, there are always a few surprises, a few snubs. There are always a few picks that will prove polarizing.
And then there are those films that have felt Oscar-anointed right from the get-go, their awards-season pedigree completely, maybe even complacently assured. This year, the Oscar-iest Oscar nom might be Conclave.
Conclave is perfect Oscar-bait, a term when applied to Best Picture alluding to a subtle but immediately identifiable vibe. Oscar-bait films are almost always handsome, semi-historical, seriously worthy but fatally safe.
I must start by saying I enjoyed Conclave, which begins with the death of a beloved pope and then follows Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes, deservedly nominated for Best Actor) as he oversees the conclave to elect a new pontiff. This Vatican melodrama is supremely entertaining, incredibly good-looking and irresistible in its talky, theological tensions.
It features an expert ensemble of veteran actors …