Film Review: The Death of Stalin

"Have A Long Sleep, Old Man. I'll Take It From Here..."

Before taking the reigns of the Tardis in Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi was best known for his unforgettable role as infamous spin doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in the critically acclaimed political satire The Thick of It, and whilst Capaldi undeniably made such an iconic character very much his own in the years on-screen, the orchestrator of chaos in the form of Armando Iannucci easily deserved as much credit for handling a show which went from strength to strength in attempting to depict a modern political system awash with daily chaos. Returning to the spectrum of cinematic political satire for the first time since 2009's The Thick of It spin-off, In The Loop, Iannucci's latest, The Death of Stalin, tackles the titular passing of the infamous leader of the Soviet Union in early 1953 and the subsequent days leading to up to his funeral, albeit with a hilariously played, blackly comic edge of which Mr. Iannucci is arguably the leading figure of in the current entertainment climate. Whilst The Death of Stalin is undeniably hilarious, with a number of well orchestrated set pieces resulting in leaving me in a fit of giggle inflicted tears, Iannucci's latest also includes a darkened hole at its' narrative epicentre, and whilst the mix of the bizarre and the bleak is interestingly played, The Death of Stalin doesn't hold together as smoothly as I would have liked, but its' undeniable comic streak makes it a worthy inclusion into the Scottish comic's impressive repertoire of political satire.  

Beginning with a scene which not only sets the tone for basis of the movie but outlines the terrifying balance between historical reality and outright fiction, The Death of Stalin uses the narrative essence of Aaron Sorkin-esque political dramas such as The West Wing alongside a mix between intelligent, quip-laden dialogue of Iannucci's own famous satirical shows and the slapstick, almost ludicrous comedy of which Monty Python made so famous in their lengthy run on and off screen, and whilst the plot does waver in places, with the script simmering up and down in terms of engagement level, the inclusion of a perfectly formed cast, each utilising either their own accents, or in the case of Jason Isaacs, one of Yorkshire descent, who are all at the top of their game in comically portraying leaders of a nation which in Iannucci's eyes is filled with utter chaos and political incompetence following the passing of a terrifyingly powerful leader. Whilst the comedy does undeniably work, the switch from light to darkness within the movie always doesn't, with the juxtaposition between humour and plot threads which feature murder, child abuse and rape seeming more than jarring at times, even when their inclusion was downright inevitable when effectively examining the workings of a Stalin-led Soviet Union, but with enough cracking one liners to put most contemporary comedies to shame, The Death of Stalin is highly enjoyable, just not in the same pedigree as previous Iannucci-led satires.

Overall Score: 7/10