Review of The Death of Stalin (2017) by Dawdlingpoet — 27 Nov 2021

This is an amusing watch - not entirely laugh out loud style but there's certainly an element of farce present. The many government worker type characters are somewhat comical but in a toned down sort of a way. The plot is pretty ludicrous but I found it really quite watchable and it was certainly entertaining regardless. Its fair to say that this is very much a political satire, one that features a lot of petty squabbling and I imagine it didn't go down well (plot wise) in certain parts of the world but thats easily guessed. I found the jerky/wobbly camerawork a bit frustrating and it relies on old stereotypes of the Russians, with scenes in a Siberian jail and so on. I like that its such an obvious send up of power and authority in such a powerful and feared part of the world. Its somehow amusing to see the 'powers that be' or those who worked for them, to be faced with having to create their new hierarchy, to see them struggle to build their future from whats left.

I should perhaps mention that there are some sex references and strong language present, plus mild to moderate violent scenes, hence the films 15 rating in the UK.