“Conclave” wasn’t made with the Vatican’s involvement; it was shot at the legendary Rome studio Cinecittà. The film, made for about $20 million and scripted by Peter Straughan, is primarily a procedural, albeit one with a spiritual dimension.

Despite constant buzz about Pope Francis’ age and health, the only conclave — the gathering of the Catholic Church’s College of Cardinals to elect a new pontiff — on the horizon is in theaters: A cinematic flocking of red-hatted,

The political maneuvering of cardinals gathered in the Vatican to choose a new Pope gives rise to fine performances but merely methodical drama.