A true black comedy

Rating: 9/10 (15 May 2020)

This is a true black comedy that fits firmly into the movie family tree that includes The Loved One, Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, and Delicatessen but with the added shiver factor that the characters being portrayed were once real people doing the things they are portrayed doing in this film.
The idiocy of the over-weaning bureaucratic state are displayed as is the potential disfunction of the use of fear to govern. (It is downplayed a little in the film but Stalin was left lying on the floor for many hours because those around him were too afraid to enter his room to find out what had happened for fear of extreme punishment.)
The characterisations are very good with excellent acting. The accents may jar a little initially and at times the language may be too much for your great-aunt Matilda but they reflect the fact that the Soviet leadership comprised a mixture of people from a variety of backgrounds and regions of the vast country and not all were 'cultured'.
The storyline has been adjusted to meet the needs of a clean plot (especially concerning the timing of the trial and execution of Beria), although not to the extent that it distorts history too much. I'd recommend reading the 'bloopers' section of the IMDB page on the movie to clear up any possible misunderstandings.
My only real quibble? Khrushchev (played brilliantly by Steve Buscemi) was actually quite a short man - 5 ft 2 inches. In the film, he's portrayed as lot taller. Not much of a quibble!!
My advice? Settle yourself down, get out the popcorn and a drink of your choice and prepare for a rattling good movie.