Highbrow drama: Smart, savvy Vatican thriller presciently parallels U.S. politics in ‘Conclave’

“Conclave” — 3.5 stars

If the Academy Awards ever created a special Oscar for “Best Performance by a Furrowed Brow,” Ralph Fiennes would handily win for his lively and versatile forehead wrinkles in Edward Berger’s elegantly staged, unpredictable and extremely timely drama “Conclave.”

As a spiritually torn Catholic cardinal named Lawrence, Fiennes executes the most reserved, nuanced performance of his distinguished acting career, revealing relative levels of internal conflict by how deep his furrows become, from Def-Conclave 5 all the way up to Def-Conclave 1.

When the aging pope dies under seemingly natural circumstances, it falls to Lawrence, the Vatican dean, to preside over the election of a new pontiff, a process that piles more levels of anxiety on top of the cardinal’s deepening doubts about his faith.

He confesses those to his friend, Bellini (Stanley Tucci in sterling mode), an American cardinal who makes no secret he would consider being the pope, and Lawrence constantly votes for him in a succession of papacy polls.

He does not vote for Cardinal Tremblay of Montreal (John Lithgow), who appears to want the position just a little too much. Cardinal Adeyemi of Nigeria (Lucian Msamati) seems to be a decent, solid choice who could become the Vatican’s first African pope.

Cardinal Tedesco of Venice (Sergio Castellitto) fiercely advocates a return to the dark ages of the church — no more nonsense about involving women, tolerating LGBTQIA and giving up traditional Latin services.

Then, the unexpected arrival of a mystery cardinal, the soft-spoken Benitez of Kabul (Carlos Diehz), throws the Vatican into a tizzy. Who is he? Why did the late pope secretly elevate him to a cardinal status?

These characters — each one with his own agenda and damaging secrets — converge behind the locked doors of the Domus Sanctae Marthae, where the College of Cardinals remains cloistered until they elect the next pope.

“Conclave” is a rare find at local theaters, political intrigue merged with a thinking viewer’s thriller slowly unfolding like a classic murder mystery, but without a Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot.

Actually, “Conclave” does have O’Malley (Brian F. O’Byrne), Lawrence’s personal investigator who occasionally pops in to feed the cardinal information conveniently timed to push the narrative along at a brisk and snappy pace.

The idea to write his 2016 novel “Conclave” came to Robert Harris while watching television coverage of the 2013 conclave that elected Pope Francis. It occurred to Harris that the faces of the cardinals looked more like politicians than clerics.

So, is it any wonder that “Conclave” presciently parallels American politics through a cluster of cardinals who must choose between tolerance and unity or hatred and division?

The story even includes a Cassidy Hutchinson stand-in, Sister Agnes (Isabella Rossellini, leveling out a testosterone-heavy cast), who defiantly sets the record straight despite pressure to remain silent.

Weirdly enough, “Concave” could easily be transposed to a two-set or even a one-set live stage production, as most of it takes place in one big room devoid of election judges.

But make no mistake, Berger’s version of Harris’ book (adapted by screenwriter Peter Straughan) proves to be a real movie-movie, featuring cinematic acrobatics from Stephane Fontaine’s constantly moving, probing, encircling cameras and Suzie Davies’ luxuriously detailed production designs suggesting the foreboding atmosphere of Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” especially the use of red doors looming in dark corridors.

The two collaborate on creating marvelous motifs, such as tiny windows resembling little boxes on a door, inside a bigger box (the door frame) inside an even bigger box (formed by the corridor), a nifty metaphor for the characters feeling boxed in by their duties.

Admittedly, a slight plot contrivance dings this drama during its final scenes.

Up until then, Fiennes’ brows remain at a full-throttle-furrow in an enthralling, slow-boil political thriller that insults no one’s intelligence.

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Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Brían F. O’Byrne, Carlos Diehz

Directed by: Edward Berger

Other: A Focus Features theatrical release. Rated PG. 120 minutes.