Some woman I've never heard of once said that comedy is tragedy plus time. It's been 65 years since Stalin died and almost a century since he became leader of the Soviet Union. The tragedy being that, in the years of his leadership, it's estimated he killed 20 million of his own people - through executions, gulag camps and dodgy deportations mainly.
To make comedy out of that seems a hard task. But then Armando Ianucci (The Thick of It and In the Loop), comes along, rounds up some of the world's best comic actors - Steve Buscemi, Michael Palin, Jeffrey Tambor, Paddy Considine to name a few - and does it in style.
The fact that Stalin was a murderous bad guy makes it easier to laugh at his undignified end - on the floor covered in piss - and, thereafter, it's the obvious scheming of his deputies as they try to take over as leader that keeps the comedy turning, culminating in a military coup at the main man's funeral.
The best, and perhaps one of the only, Russian historical satire movies of the century. Do yourself a favour and make time for it.
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