Last night I went to see Conclave, wow. It’s a big movie, like old-style Hollywood, there’s big names, great supports, stunning cinematography (I likened it to Gladiator II, that bigness). One little annoyance was clearly knowing who would become the next pope (well, it was obvious to me), but the etiquette, the politics and the mind games, right up to the very end, were utterly delicious. Oh, and I love me some Tucci!

What really amused me was that I’ve just finished watching an old BBC series The Barchester Chronicles from 1982, that too is a fine portrayal of similar themes within the clergy, but way back in the nineteenth century (it was an adaptation of two books in a series by Anthony Trollope). The cast are a plethora of fine British actors, many recognisable faces; Clive Swift as the new hen-pecked bishop and Geraldine McEwan as his acerbic wife, Nigel Hawthorne is magnificent as the pompous, ill-tempered archdeacon, and how lovely to see Barbara Flynn (always feisty glint in her eye, that one).

Top honours must go to Donald Pleasance as the unassuming, gentle warden and Alan Rickman in an early role that, well, typecast him?! Haha, no, but watching it now, one can thoroughly enjoy watching a young Rickman being supercilious, odious, conniving, in a part that should be up there with his best. Whilst Rickman was playing the type of role we’ve come to know him for, Donald Pleasance was a wonderful revelation to me, so very different from some of the old film roles that immediately spring to mind. It’s a beautiful understated performance that has you rooting for him against all the mean, self-serving, just plain horrible characters around him.

…. Which takes me back to Conclave played with such perfect nuances as to have us guessing just who are the humble servants of their god and who are self-serving in their desire to become pope. As truths are revealed, the hypocrisy is in turn, damning, sadly human, and to some of us, darkly humorous; to borrow a quote from The Barchester Chronicles from a conversation between the archdeacon and the deacon about their problem, the warden, “He has persistent bouts of Christianity”, likewise, darkly funny and revealing.

This Christmas you could worse than go out and see Conclave on the big screen, then snuggle up at home and watch a fine old BBC drama, it’s just seven episodes so not too big a chunk of time and it is rotten weather outside.

Toodle pip!