Just recently saw this on DVD. I'd read it was a satire-comedy, but after doing a little research after watching the film, the events portrayed in the film don't seem that far off from what actually happened during the immediate aftermath of Stalin's death in 1953.

The casting was definitely a case of artistic license. Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, and Simon Russell Beale only in a very cursory way look anything like Malenkov, Khrushchev, and Beria, respectively (for one thing, Malenkov and Khrushchev were a lot fatter and uglier in real life, and Beria was a lot thinner). But, these three actors played their roles very well and I am glad, in this case, that the director cast against type.

Jason Isaacs, on the other hand, did possess a closer resemblence to his character, the great Soviet tank general, Zhukov.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!!

I did enjoy the scene toward the end where Stalin's son Vasily gave his "cubs" speech. I wonder if it really happened that way . . . if so, it was clever of the Soviet leadership to have MiG-15s screeching overhead during what they seemed to consider a very embarrassing, poorly-put together speech!

Another area of artistic license: in real life, Beria was not executed immediately following his arrest; in real life, he was arrested in June of 1953, and held in prison until December of that year, when he was finally shot. Supposedly, though, he did beg and plea for his life.

An enjoyable film; history buffs, despite the various creative departures taken in this movie, I think will like it.