2 Best Movies to Watch by Tim Steed

1. The Death of Stalin, 2017

This is a hilarious political comedy starring the ever-great Steve Buscemi. Set in the last days before Stalin's death and the chaos that followed, it portrays the lack of trust and the random assassinations that characterized the Stalinist Soviet Union. Think of it as Veep meets Sacha Baron Cohen's The Dictator. Although to be fair, its dark comedy props are very different from the comedy that comes out today: where there are jokes they're really smart, but what's actually funny is the atmosphere and absurd situations that end up developing.

Genre: Comedy, Drama, History

Actor: Adam Ewan, Adam Shaw, Adrian McLoughlin, Alla Binieieva, Andrea Riseborough, Andrey Korzhenevskiy, Andy Gathergood, Cara Horgan, Dan Mersh, Daniel Booroff, Daniel Chapple, Daniel Fearn, Daniel Smith, Daniel Tatarsky, Daniel Tuite, Dave Wong, David Crow, Dermot Crowley, Diana Quick, Elaine Caxton, Ellen Evans, Emilio Iannucci, Eva Sayer, Ewan Bailey, George Potts, Gerald Lepkowski, Henry Helm, James Barriscale, Jason Isaacs, Jeffrey Tambor, Jeremy Limb, Jonathan Aris, Jonny Phillips, June Watson, Justin Edwards, Karl Johnson, Leeroy Murray, Luke D'Silva, Michael Ballard, Michael Palin, Nicholas Sidi, Nicholas Woodeson, Oleg Drach, Olga Kurylenko, Paddy Considine, Paul Chahidi, Paul Ready, Paul Whitehouse, Phil Deguara, Richard Brake, Ricky Gabriellini, Roger Ashton-Griffiths, Rupert Friend, Sebastian Anton, Sheng-Chien Tsai, Simon Russell Beale, Steve Buscemi, Sylvestra Le Touzel, Tim Steed, Tom Brooke, Yulya Muhrygina

Director: Armando Iannucci

Rating: R

2. One Life, 2023

As far as heroic biopics go, One Life is fairly standard, if not a bit forgettable. The film’s monotonous pace and less-than-compelling drama don’t quite match the extraordinary real-life feats of the British stockbroker who helped transport hundreds of Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Prague into Britain. The beats are familiar, the dialogue even more so. But there is one saving grace here, and that’s Anthony Hopkins, who plays the stockbroker in question, Nicky Winton, with such believable grace. Hopkins effortlessly relays the heavy guilt of his character, and when he finally breaks down by the film’s climax, you can’t help but cry with him. Everything else about the film, including the flashbacks to young Nicky, played by Johnny Flynn, could be stronger, but as it stands, One Life serves as an effective enough reminder to stand up for what’s right and be proud of that act, no matter how seemingly small or singular.Genre: Drama, Family, History, War
Actor: Adrian Rawlins, Aleš Bílík, Alex Sharp, Angus Kennedy, Anna Darvas, Anthony Hopkins, Antonie Formanová, Barbora Černá, Barbora Vacková, Charles Armstrong, Darren Clarke, Ffion Jolly, Helena Bonham Carter, Janusz Hummel, Jaromíra Mílová, Jiří Šimek, Joe Weintraub, Johnny Flynn, Jonathan Pryce, Jonathan Tafler, Juliana Moska, Justin Svoboda, Lena Olin, Lukáš Král, Marthe Keller, Matilda Thorpe, Michael Gould, Nick Blakeley, Petr Jeništa, Romola Garai, Samantha Spiro, Samuel Finzi, Sean Brodeur, Simon Thorp, Tim Steed, Vilma Frantová, Ziggy Heath
Director: James Hawes
Rating: PG