The Death of Stalin (2017)

Director: Armando Iannucci
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor
Runtime: 107 minutes

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Special Effects: N.A.
Costumes/Makeup: 7/10
Editing: 6/10
Cinematography: 5/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10

Verdict: Comedies centered around sensitive subjects are always a gamble since they can either go really well, or really wrong. “The Death of Stalin” is the latest addition to the genre and follows the Soviet dictator’s last days, while giving us a look at the day to day operations conducted by his regime. I laughed a lot more than I was expecting to watching this movie, and this is mainly due to the performances by the likes of Steve Buscemi, Jason Isaacs or Simon Russell Beale. Director Armando Iannucci made the decision of not having the characters speak with a Russian accent, which I found weird and honestly a bit distracting at first, but later on praised that call since a lot of the laughs were due to excellent line deliveries and timing by the cast, something that would not have been achieved had their accents been altered. However, while being one of the funniest films I have seen in a while, my biggest complaint about “The Death of Stalin” is the fact that its second half takes a more serious approach and is not as funny as its first, causing me to look at my watch a couple of times. Nevertheless, I still think that the comedy will more than satisfy people looking for a good laugh.

Final Grade: 7/10