Wow, I was not expecting to love this movie as much as I did. The comedy timing from the amazing ensemble cast is truly a delight to watch. Armando Iannucci does a fantastic job blocking and shooting this film. The film has a good sense of space to really let his actors breathe. It is so refreshing to see so many physical comedy moments. There were some moments where the image and coloring looked very TV, but for the most part it wasn't too bad.
The Script and Dialogue is also another great standout, I love the back-and-forth banter, and the seemingly over idiotic moments of chaos, and the general sense of 'wait, what the fuck?'
The actors here truly knock it out of the park for me. Simon Russell Beale (Lavrenti Beria) especially had some very real moments of great stress and weight that he really sold. Jeffrey Tambor (Georgy Malenkov) had me cracking up every time I saw him. He played stupid, confident and unsure very well. Steve Buscemi (Nikita Khrushchev) Also carried his weight and gave a great performance, he especially looked like he had a blast playing his character.
Now the things that faltered for me. Some of the pacing with the film felt a little too long and it sagged in the middle a good bit, I wish it were a little tighter, or if it would've expounded more in those areas. Also, I love how dark it gets in certain moments, but deep down, I wish it went darker, and added more panic to the events occurring. The director did a good job managing the stupid with the slaughter, but I can’t help but feel like he held back in some moments to make it flow better. I would've just loved to have a truly dark comedy where when shit hits the fan, you’re seeing the splatters.
So, in ending
--- 9/10 - Amazing -
the film is amazing. I feel like the comedy might not be for everyone though also that saggy middle might snag some people into boredom. But it’s still a worthwhile watch if you’re interested in any of the cast members, because they give a fantastic performance.