Director
Armando Iannucci 
(IN THE LOOP)

Stars
Jeffrey Tambor, Simon Russell Beale, Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Rupert Friend, Andrea Riseborough, Jason Isaacs and Olga Kurylenko

A comedic co-production between France, the UK, and Belgium that is inspired by the fall-out following the death of a Russian tyrant. Yep, it’s no surprise that THE DEATH OF STALIN is banned from screening in Russia! What a pity that is, for this political satire is just as strong as a double-shot Smirnoff on the rocks.

As the film commences, it is the year 1953 in Moscow. The oppressive conditions that many Russian civilians are forced to endure during the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin is the backdrop to grasping the order of play inside the Kremlin. Without naming the specified individuals who each hold varying levels of hierarchies below their current leader, this all-male team are thrown into complete disarray when Stalin suffers an almighty stroke and is pronounced dead. In the blink of an eye, this hapless ensemble are forced to appoint a replacement for Joseph Stalin while simultaneously planning his funeral, which proves to be all too much for them.

Based on the French graphic novel ‘La mort de Staline’ and directed by TV series “Veep” creator, Armando Iannucci, THE DEATH OF STALIN is a hugely rewarding comedy to watch, for its intended audience.

The extent of your appreciation and the volume of laughter to be had will be largely measured by your capacity for a quick-witted and intellectually written screenplay. Plenty of content and a heavy load of dialogue is widely dispersed among several characters at a consistently fast pace, which can be quite tiring and tough to keep up with for those such as myself who have a natural tendency to get involved with the detail of a narrative. Even if this connection to THE DEATH OF STALIN only occurs intermittently, the film remains pleasurable to watch courtesy of its more easily identifiable constituents. For instance, it isn’t just the depicted political crisis that’s being ridiculed here but the global political landscape in general. And the crafty, undiplomatic manner in which the five writers (including the director) have derived an exaggerated sense of humour from a real-life period in history that’s no laughing matter. In fact, the clever writing was even nominated for one of this film’s two BAFTA nominations.

THE DEATH OF STALIN also boasts fabulous performances from its ensemble cast and an effective score. Though it won’t appeal to the masses, THE DEATH OF STALIN is bound to be one of the top comedies of the year for fans of political satire.

3 ½ stars

Viewer Discretion
MA15+ (Strong coarse language)

Trailer
THE DEATH OF STALIN

If political satire and THE DEATH OF STALIN are your thing, then make sure you watch FOUR LIONS. It’s a hilarious film that Leigh awarded four stars to.

Moviedoc thanks Madman for the invite to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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