I’m glad there is a smart category in Hollywood where it’s ok to make films that are dialogue heavy and historical in scope. Some kid doing a report on Stalin somewhere in the future may call upon this film for muse. I say all that to set the foundation for my review: this film is not a normal film. Once you open your mind to something else, you’ll have a better time enjoying it.
The Death of Stalin (2017)
R | 1h 46min | Comedy | 20 October 2017 (UK)
Follows the Soviet dictator’s last days and depicts the chaos of the regime after his death.
Director: Armando Iannucci
Writers: Armando Iannucci, David Schneider | 5 more credits »
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor
Armando Iannucci is our director. Fittingly enough, he directed the hit political series “Veep” with Julia Louis Dreyfuss that is also a very high intellectual show. Steve Buscemi stars in this and does a great job. It’s one of those films where you get a mile a minute of satire and if you’re lucky enough to get it all, you feel lofty, high-brow, intellectual. This film wasn’t really my thing. Probably because I have not studied Stalin to any degree. Some of the humor is funny though and I trust the right audience will adore this movie. I give it a 6/10 for my part though because there was much of it that I didn’t get.
