From TV’s The Thick of It and Veep to his assured feature debut In the Loop, Iannucci has time and again proven himself to beone of the most scathingly brilliant political satirists around. His latest effort sees an impeccable acting roster jostling for power in the aftermath of the titular dictator’s death. Foul-mouthed power plays and shady deals fester between key players of the inner circle in order to assure control over the USSR’s future. The overall result is surprisingly sombre at times, leaning away from the laugh-a-minute comedy that audiences might expect. It’s a vicious satire based on historical fact (amusingly featuring no Russian accents) that jocosely warns about the future whilst exploring facets of society that are no laughing matter.
The Death of Stalin | Directed by Armando Iannucci (UK 2017) with Simon Russell Beale, Steve Buscemi. Starts March 29
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