Synopsis: The Soviet dictator lives out his final days, and chaos erupts after his death. (Google)
Cast: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Paddy Considine, Rupert Friend, Jason Isaacs, Michael Palin, Andrea Riseborough, Jeffrey Tambor
Screenplay: Armando Iannucci, David Schneider, Ian Martin, Peter Fellows
Directed by: Armando Iannucci

Political satire, especially the ones that have bloody backgrounds behind them, is a very fine line to thread; it’s not an easy feat to handle humor in such horrific situation. A feat delicately achieved by Armando Iannuci in THE DEATH OF STALIN. Already banned in Russia for obvious reasons, this black comedy from the director of IN THE LOOP (2009) and the creator of TV series VEEP, about the horror of Stalin’s leadershop and the thirst for power after his demise, proves to be painfully hilarious, yet never really minimize the terror nearby.

Fifteen minutes into the film, we can feel the sense of dread from people living in fear of making any mistake, as imprisonment and/or execution would be the consequences; even after the dictator died. Displaying the paranoia and the power-hungries with dry humor turned out to be the perfect way to illustrate the terror and, at the same time, the absurdity of the regime. I guess what Chaplin said it’s true; life is tragedy when seen in close-up, but comedy in long-shot.

The razor sharp clever script might not work without the chemistry of these (mostly) veteran performers. From the ‘lead’ (not really lead though, since it’s more of an ensemble piece) Steve Buschemi, Simon Russell Beale and Jeffrey Tambor as opposing parties to the throne, to the scene stealers Paddy Considine, Jason Isaacs and Rupert Friend. Their comedic timings and deliveries are top-notch. But one thing I really like is Iannuci and the actors’ decision to not bother with Russian accent, making it slightly more unrealistic but exceptionally funnier (and didn’t fall into caricature trap).

This film does have a few minor flaws; not all the jokes worked on me, an anti-climatic ending and some supporting actors could have been used better; but THE DEATH OF STALIN is still the contender as the funniest film I’ve seen this year (GAME NIGHT came close, but more on that later). By balancing both the humor and horror (historical accuracy? doubtful lol), Iannuci again proves he’s a master of bleak, dry-humored political satire. [B+]

A copy of my review on Instagram.