a satirical triumph

Rating: 10/10 (19 September 2018)

Writer, director Armando Iannucci is quickly becoming a staple in political satire comedies, with a line of successful titles already attached to his name like British comedy In The Loop and HBO's Veep. With The Death of Stalin, he further cements his stature, bringing us a sharp political satire in a very sombre period of Russia's history.
The Death of Stalin follows the power struggle between the council of ministers of the Soviet Union, giving us an insight of the regime's turmoil after Stalin's death. With an impressively intelligent script that balances the comedy and drama of the current affairs, Armando Iannucci makes us laugh, somewhat outrageously, in the midst of incredible violence, never presenting it as a foreground, but rather, a background painting, letting you decide what is depicted on off screen.
A stellar ensemble cast, which includes Steve Buscemi, Simon Russel Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Jason Isaacs, just to a name a few, deliver, in near-perfect note, an outstanding array characters to full realisation. Impeccably casted and thoroughly well acted, the film breathes palpable life in every scene as the drama becomes increasingly apparent, providing a rousing third act that fully kills, literally, the beat from which the film started with.
The Death of Stalin can be regarded as the best comedies to hit the screens in 2017.