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Matt Wrather and Pete Fenzel sequester themselves for another storied two-hander as they consider Conclave, a pope-ular and mer-curial film with an all-star cast and an uneasy dramaturgy. See the movie first so as not to spoil the plot, then join us to discuss what genre it is or might be, and what it might be saying about order, patriarchy, tension, progress, and how much your artistic identity might change when you swap out the synth strings and bring in the real ones. We discuss the schema of archetypes these wily cardinals in their extended negotiation might represent, either in culture war or popcorn movie phantasmagoria. We consider the role of women in the movie and the film’s symbolic final shot. We wax on a performance of tantalizing complexity from Ralph Fiennes and the stunning set design and sometimes-controversial camerawork. We lament the poor showing of the Tucci gang when the Tooch needed them most. We recognize our show’s inevitable slide into solely Isabella Rosselini oriented material. And while we do not advise watching this sumptuous piece of visual art on your cell phone, for the podcast that will do just fine.

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Episode 872: A Clergy Without a Congregation originally appeared on Overthinking It, the site subjecting the popular culture to a level of scrutiny it probably doesn't deserve. [Latest Posts | Podcast (iTunes Link)]