Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

morbelle When I saw this film in the TV listings, I thought "could be some good tack." It's much better than that. It starts off almost comedic like, culminating in Stalin singing. Then it enters into the emotional problems Anna has over killing Stalin. The film then focuses on her son Joe, and his problems in finding out he is the son of Stalin, and his gradual descent into Stalinism. The film serves as a warning against Stalinism, about how any abuse of power, no matter the end, is wrong. The interest is held with some superb acting by the cast and the idea of Stalin producing a child and "heir." The movie could use more of an ending, and it does treat itself as being "true" particularly at the end. Having said that this is well worth watching and I recommend it to anyone intrigued by Communism and Stalin.

aberlour36 While Judy Davis and Sam Neill give their usual fine performances, the script is so weak that the entire film crashes. It's supposed to be a chronicle of a wild-eyed Communist who has sex with Stalin and gives birth to an extremist who enjoys being handcuffed. Sight gags (walking into a tree) and silliness (Stalin's successors act up like the three stooges at his death) provide the only comic relief from this dreary tale that seems to go on for hours.

Lumpenprole The ProsTo me, the premise is hilarious - Stalin's love child.I'm always happy to spend two hours watching Judy Davis. I think she's just great.I saw this movie just before I got sick of seeing Sam Neil everywhere and I remember thinking he was neat.The world of Stalin is absolutely hilarious. F. Murray Abraham pulls off a number of macabre gags with great presence.Also, it's a wry look at political activism and some of the poses that resemble it.The ConsGets boring after the first half and the premise doesn't add up to much.Worth seeing just for the courtship of Stalin alone.

peterj-8 Brilliant performances from the whole cast set a unique story line ablaze with sparkling moments. Dark turns of plot are relieved by fascinating psycho-sexual revelations, and the whole effect is one of uplift as disaster is averted through enlightenment and personal sacrifice.