THE DEATH OF STALIN (2018)

Review written by Raul De Leon

The Death of Stalin (2018)

Did you know Stalin pissed himself when he died? I didn’t. But Ianucci and his fellow writers made sure to point that out to us with drolling gags over the dictator’s unconscious body. Is it insensitive? Well one could argue, but if political humor gets under your skin then this British farce reel isn’t for you. The Death of Stalin makes contemplative points on the Soviet’s transition away from Stalin’s reign of terror, with laughs the entire way through.

If you need a brush up on your history, I’ll give you a quick recap: Josef Stalin was the leader of the Soviet Union from the mid-1920’s, through World War II, and up until his death in 1953. Even though he and the Soviet Union deserve much credit for defeating the evil Nazis, Stalin is pretty much unanimously perceived as another Hitler; a malicious and powerful politician who we have no remorse for. So just like it’s okay to see Hitler thrashed by a close range machine-gun in [Title of movie removed due to Spoilers], it’s also okay to watch politicians comically fuss while standing over Stalin’s lifeless body and brain-exposed head.

Stalin’s in the mood for a late-night screening of a cowboy picture, so his Central Committee members watch alongside him while they fall asleep in their chairs. They don’t want to be there but what can they do? If they don’t watch the movie, they might be shot. If Stalin suspects them as betrayers, they might be shot. If the doctors diagnose Stalin with an illness, they might be shot. If the guards outside Stalin’s room enter when they hear him fall from his stroke, they might be shot. Everyone, everyone, lives in fear of their lives, and it’s hilarious.

After Stalin’s death, the Central Committee of seven nervously reorganize and push the Soviet narrative forward, but they don’t know what one another’s agendas are, nor where each other stands. Nobody wants to be singled out, so they nervously follow each other’s lead to keep themselves under the radar and out of sight of the crosshairs.

Malenkov (Tambor) becomes the new Premier and First Secretary, but he’s weak and completely depends on his comrades, comically contradicting himself to adhere to their say. Beria (Beale) is a brute, disguising himself as a savior to the Soviet public in order to save his skin and control the state. Khrushchev (Buscemi ) is the hope out of autocracy but is belittled by his comrades. Vasily Stalin (Rupert Friend) frantically tries to rule like his father, but he receives not even an ounce of respect from the lowest Soviet guard. It’s laughable how powerless he is compared to his authoritarian father.

Paranoia feeds the committee’s indecisiveness, hesitancy, and concealment of their true feelings. These are the people that are supposed to be ruling a nation and they’re completely out of whack. Just like Kubrick with Dr. Strangelove, Ianucci makes total fun of very serious politics.

One scene in particular sums up the screwy spectacle that is, The Death of Stalin: A team of soldiers seize a government building and execute one person after another, including workers and guards. At the end of the seize, the military vehicles roll out, and a soldier turns his pistol on his comrade (who looked to be orchestrating the seize in the first place), and fires at his head. It’s absurdist humor used to reflect an equally absurd governing body.

I found myself laughing out loud at the ridiculous circumstances, just like Adrian McLoughlin (Stalin) laughs out loud in a thick British accent before he croaks. Ianucci is more than aware of how ludicrous his picture is and equally aware of how ludicrous some horrendous political rule on our planet has been. So my advice is; don’t be offended like Russia (who banned the film in their country), and let the wisecracks roll.

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If you liked The Death of Stalin, you might also like; Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), Wag the Dog (1997), In the Loop (2009), The Dictator (2012).

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: Rauloncinema.com

FILM REVIEW – LOVELESS (2017)

Loveless (2017)

This year’s Jury prize winner at Cannes, and Russia’s official entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category at the 90^th Academy Awards, is totally worthy of the acclaim. Modern great, Andrey Zvyagintsev, directs a vital study on present-day Russia and an emotionally tearing picture on  a loveless family.

Zhenya and Boris are a thirty-something year-old couple in the middle of a heated divorce. Their unloving attitude toward their young son, Alexey, keeps the boy’s insides fuming and his outsides wet in tears. If he’s not being ignored by his parents, then he’s being scolded, and so he breaks away from home, never to turn back. His cold parents eventually notice he’s missing, inconveniently causing them to deviate from their social and professional lives and obligatorily search for their child.

Loveless is two things: a raw, sympathy experience for a hapless child, and a criticism of Russian society as a state of human detachment. Director Zvyagintsev takes hard tugs at your heart, while providing insight to the toxic traits of the Russian lifestyle (which is equally applicable to most of the modern world) that cause this heartbreaking. Zvyagintsev holds a wide open door to honest, tragic, human suffering with a plea to his viewers, to examine their own way of life.

Mother Zhenya’s life is preoccupied with her physical appearance and her phone, and her affection is completely immersed into her new lover, Anton. Father Boris’ time is devoted to his job and political broadcast, and the little affection he has, is poured into his pregnant lover, Masha. Their son Alexey is just someone who happens to be there; a mistake and an obstacle in their lives. Zhenya and Boris have to face the consequences of their shameful ethics when their son goes missing, but their reception and attitude toward the situation is unacceptable and heartbreaking. They are so unaware of their false parenting that the lesson they face just passes them by without any acknowledgment.

The audience is more than aware of the parents’ wrongful behavior and attitude. Zhenya scrolls through her phone, oblivious to her son’s tears at breakfast. Boris complains that he has to leave work to search for his son. Their lovelessness is this film’s main attraction. Empathy is as high as in any film you have seen, and that’s because of the realism and accuracy of Zvyagintsev’s assessment.

Zvyagintsev insists that the sin of lovelessness resonates nationwide due to a divorce between humanity and humanity. Technology, vanity, and career have become the attention of Russia, and it creates a disengagement from one person to the next. Zvyagintsev’s social remarks are hardly symbolic, and more like a hardball thrown at your face. One of the very first shots of the film is completely static and silent aside from the high waving Russian flag. And one of the final shots is of Zhenya running on a treadmill in a brand new, flashy Russian track suit.

Authentic lighting and acting engraves a deep imprint of realism, that supports Zvyagintsev’s voice. Spivak deserves equal acclaim as the film as the vile Zhenya. Rozin as Boris has the most touching scene of all in a pivotal moment. Alexey is hardly seen but your upmost empathy resides completely with him. It’s amazing how much you can feel for a character with virtually no screen time. You’ll be sending prayers through the screen to save this poor child.

Once again, Zvyagintsev, shows us why he is one of today’s best. Loveless is a true human story assembled by tragic characters and shot with class. I would be surprised if it didn’t earn the Oscar nominee this March.

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If you liked Loveless, you might also like; Irreversible (2002), Autumn Sonata (1978), This Boy’s Life (1993), and other films by Andrey Zvyagintsev.

Check out the rest of my reviews on my website: cerebralfilmreviews.com.