THE DEATH OF STALIN review

THE DEATH OF STALIN

starring Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor and Jason Isaacs

directed by Armando Iannucci

A review by Helen J. Reynolds

A dark comedy centred over the dictatorship of Stalin and the men who vied for power after his death.

It's an all-star cast that isn't going for historical accuracy, but at the same time it isn't just going for laughs, either. This is a satire on how politicians take power: The gross cosying up i.e. literally running to be the first to hug a grieving daughter, the back-stabbing plans - made in a bathroom so the flush drowns out possible surveillance, or the protocols that matter only for political points, otherwise, 'Ah, I'm just messing with you!'

Characters are as oily as political life but you don't ever feel bored watching them bicker. Steve Buscemi takes the main role of Nikita Khrushchev, whose history will tell you how successful his plans for power were. Buscemi's arch-rival here is Lavrentiy Beria (Simon Russell Beale) who both try to puppet the very empty-headed George Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor). It's an easy to reckon with story-line: Stalin is dead, Malenkov takes over the face of the Party, but the real power lies in whoever can hold onto the strings...

The plot is mostly a series of arguments and/or blunders which moves in good pace and is propped up by great comedic actors. Jason Isaacs, I think, is particularly good as the General of the Red Army. He gets some great scenes/key moments and is far more on the ridiculous end of the scale than other characters. This is perhaps because, while a lot of the film is outlandish, most of the comedy is... well, I wouldn't describe it as subtle, but it's embedded very naturally into the film. In fact the trailer and the end credits gives a more surreal feel than the actual movie does. 

This isn't really a negative, it just means that the film is not what you might expect. To pick such an outrageous Monty Python-esque plot, the expectations is for iconic, over-the-top moments and that's not what this film is about. You certainly shouldn't take the movie seriously, but I don't think it's silly either. Or maybe I just believe politicians would and do act this way.

The Death of Stalin is a satire delivered in the safe hands of some of the funniest comedic actors. Easy to watch, though not particularly memorable. 

A combination of:
In the Loop (2009)
Burn After Reading (2008)
Downfall (2004) 

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