‘Conclave’: Rumors and Lies in the Sistine Chapel 

An unexpectedly catty thriller following a group of gossiping cardinals as they convene to choose the next Pope, Conclave is a completely unexpected follow-up to director Edward Berger’s last film, 2022’s All Quiet on the Western Front — and also some of the most fun I’ve had at the movie theater all year. 

Based on the novel of the same name written by Robert Harris, Conclave follows Ralph Fiennes as Lawrence, Dean of the College of Cardinals, navigating the death of the Pope. Dean Lawrence is tasked with running the conclave that will choose the next pope, a task he finds more difficult than expected as rumors spread amongst the sequestered cardinals. 

Berger explores the politics of the Church through the different candidates for the papacy. Dean Lawrence supports Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci), whose progressive views alienate him from the more conservative bishops, namely Cardinal Tedesco (Sergio Castellitto), a traditionalist. While the cardinals agree that the man best suited for the position should be one who does not want it, it becomes clear that no candidate is free of secret ambition. 

Ralph Fiennes gives a characteristically great performance as Dean Lawrence. He brings the audience through the rituals of the conclave (which were unfamiliar to me) with ease and carries the emotional weight of the film well.

JASO | Playground Quarrels in the Race to the Oval Office

The date is Oct. 6, and Kamala Harris is seated for another media appearance. She is in quasi-natural form: reserved yet assertive at will, professional but with ample room for humor and meme-worthy verve. Yet she is seemingly out of place. She sits in a room fit for the conflicted twenty-something woman adorned with Urban Outfitters furnishings.

The Sequel: To Be Or Not To Be Continued

As 2024 continues, so does the movie industry in its increasingly abundant production of sequels. Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. Joker: Folie à Deux. Moana 2. Gladiators 2. For film lovers, no matter the genre, our screens have been bombarded with promises of a part two that gives us the same emotions of excitement and wonder as part one. Some of those promises have fallen flat, yet still we hope. What caused some sequels to become box-office flops? What must a sequel accomplish in order to surpass the original? Are sequels worth it, or by “definition alone” are they “inferior films,” as Randy Meeks in Scream 2 suggests? 

SUNBURSTS | Fall Foliage

As the turning of the leaves marks the start of the second half of the semester, Cornellians have enjoyed the fall foliage and autumn activities. SUNRISE | Students walk to class as the sun rises over Libe Slope. (Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer)

BAILEY | At Bailey Hall, signs of autumn emerge as the leaves turn red. (Nathan Ellison/Sun Staff Photographer)

THE SLOPE | A student trudges up Libe Slope. (Jaein Ku/Sun Staff Photographer)

MCGRAW | The top of McGraw Hall towers above the foliage on the Arts Quad.

Student Artist Spotlight: Nadia Holcomb

On Oct. 11, I visited BFA student Nadia Holcomb ’25 at her studio space in Tjaden Hall for an interview. We discussed artistic mediums, post-grad plans, how her unique experiences have informed her art and what art as a whole means to her. Holcomb, who is in her final three semesters of her BFA, has just recently returned from spending two years living in monasteries — an experience that profoundly shaped her artistry. The walls of Holcomb’s studio area are covered in pinned-up artwork, including finished pieces and works in progress.

SOLAR FLARE | A Prelim Pregame

It’s that time of the year; the leaves are falling, the wind is harsh and students and professors alike are bundling up on their way to class. To the untrained, non-Cornellian eye, these might seem like the telltale signs of autumn, but every Ithaca resident knows that behind these innocent seasonal symptoms hides a much more hideous reality: prelims. 

Whether you’re a freshman braving CHEM 2070 or a haggard senior facing exams like a veteran, hours of preparatory studying, stressing and snacking are inevitable. Here are nine songs to get you through this trying month between Fall and Thanksgiving Break.