Absurdity Leavens Tragedy In Both ‘Foxtrot’ & ‘The Death Of Stalin’ [Adjust Your Tracking Podcast]

Finding connections from totally disparate films can be thrilling…

On this episode of Adjust Your Tracking, Joe and I put our knack for comparing different films to test as we discuss two new works coming to theaters in “Foxtrot” and “The Death Of Stalin.” On the surface these films have nothing to do with each other. Dig even just a little below that, though, and they start to speak to each other. Either way, after last night’s Oscar ceremony, which we open on briefly, we can finally put 2017 movies to bed for now and just let them rest. Onwards to new movies this year!

LISTEN: AYT talks sci-fi double feature “Annihilation” & “Mute“

“Foxtrot” is the latest work from Israeli director Samuel Maoz, a filmmaker with a deeply empathetic streak but also unafraid to confront and push the audience into heightened, often uncomfortable states of tragedy and loneliness, or claustrophobia (as in his 2009 film “Lebanon,” set memorably inside a tank except for the final shot). “Foxtrot”(read the site’s official review here) employs an effective triptych narrative approach that keeps the viewer off balance while also immersing them into the film’s powerful story.

“The Death Of Stalin” (official review from last year’s TIFF here) sees original “Veep” creator Armando Iannucci using his trademark lightning quick banter and an at times nihilistic, mean streak in the comedy that makes glorious use of vulgarity in many forms to get a true story of the battle for power in 1953 Soviet Russia following the death of the titular dictator. It’s anything but a stuffy history lesson though, as there’s so much humor mined amazingly from such an ugly, dark period in human history.

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