Credibly acted, the net effect is suitably stifling.
Always mesmerising, Dussollier's Stalin is a portrait of a leader whose frailties are matched only by his capacity for evil.
An Ordinary Execution forcefully conveying Russian fear and shame, and Marina Hands really is outstanding.
It is ingrained with sufficient detail to stand as a chilling document of one man's murderous caprice.
Permeated with a gut-wrenching reality about a historical period that's insufficiently understood and in present-day Russia viewed through rose-tinted glasses.
The strength of this claustrophobic chamber drama is that it immerses the viewer in the fear gripping a whole society under the Stalinist terror.
Dramatically speaking it's a bit too flat and seems more suited to theatre.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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