The multi-talented Armando Iannucci takes his unique and caustic eye and focusses it on the Soviet Union of the 1950s. This was a time of mass suppression and death and shameful time in the history of Russia and humanity. So do you think was going to make it a balls-out comedy? No. With Iannucci it was going to be funny, that much is obvious but it was also not going to shy away from the awful absurdities of the Communist state of the Soviet Union. It is a very dark and awful topic highlighted by the spotlight of comedy.

A difficult thing to accomplish as the actors and story definitely walk a fine, fine, line but overall, with a couple of minor exceptions, The Death of Stalin does it. Most of the targets are hit firmly square and centre and those that don’t aren’t far off.

Considering the deaths that Stalin and his cabal of heartless psychopaths were responsible for both, directly and indirectly, this could easily have been tasteless and offensive. That it isn’t is to the eternal credit to everyone involved in the film’s production.

Furthermore, with an absolutely stellar cast being ably assisted by the fantastic period detail and costumes the film sets up the atmosphere of the repressive and murderous era perfectly. The actors speak in their own accents, which is great not a meerkat voice to be heard and it has to be remembered that Russian is huge so the real Russian accents of the real people portrayed would probably have been as varied. It is well-known the Stalin would probably have sounded like ‘Farmer Giles’ to Russians.

If you are a fan of Armando Iannucci then you will spot his deft hand in the directing of the film with the scheming amoral political machinations mixed in with utter idiotic incompetence – you know, like real life. But throughout the running time at no time do you think Iannucci and his cast thinks that this is some huge joke we’re viewing. The audience is reminded in no uncertain terms that whilst these fools made rash decisions on a whim people were being whisked away, murdered and disposed of all the time, all on a whim. We are being made to feel uncomfortable as we view and it works.

The great skill is for a truly comic film The Death of Stalin can is very harrowing. As it should be.

As with every film the cast makes or breaks it and without doubt, the entire cast is outstanding. Lead by the usually gentle and avuncular Simon Russell Beale as the truly odious and without doubt evil, if anyone can be said to be evil, Lavrenti Beria, we get a masterclass by many safe hands. Steve Buscemi is superb as Nikita Khrushchev all nervous energy and Machiavellian twists and the official ‘nicest man in showbusiness TM’ Michael Palin shows he should get more acting parts alongside his fantastic TV travelogues. Jason Issacs storms in both literally and acting-wise and nearly steals the film as true Soviet war-hero Field Marshal Zhukov who apparently was a very easy man to get on with in real life.

The female characters in The Death of Stalin are served a little short but due to the nature of the time it is set in perhaps this not a surprise but nevertheless Andrea Riseborough makes the most of her role as Stalin’s daughter and Olga Kurylenko is convincing as the fearless Stalin-hating Maria Veniaminovna Yudina, likewise Rupert Friend makes the most of his smaller and more comedic role as the drunken Vasily, Stalin’s son, but he does get the best laugh-out line in the film though.

Iannucci has made another great political statement in a comedic manner whilst opening our eyes to the soulless and barbaric practices of authoritarian government and it does make one wonder why would anyone allow that or be attracted to that style of government. Then we go on Twitter.

The idiocy of a fools parliament is laid open with humour but it does not flinch away from the razor cuts inflicted. Watch The Death of Stalin and laugh and be grateful he’s dead. This is a good and awful film.