Review

A boisterous political farce/satire that supposes what might become of Joseph Stalin's illegitimate son if he were raised by an ardent Communist mom in middle-class Australia. Davis is in top form as Joan Fraser, a vociferous 1950s era radical who writes love letters to "Uncle Joe." The aging and lonely Stalin (Abraham) catches wind of her ardor and invites her to the Kremlin for a bit of a dialectical frolic. The rest, as they say, is history. Davis returns to Oz pregnant, but is the child Stalin's or that of Australian double agent spy Neill? Needless to say, the fun is just getting started as the film follows little Joe through childhood to his adult years through a series of nicely strung together vignettes. Writer-director Duncan takes his narrative over the top with conviction and gusto making Children of the Revolution a capricious and thoroughly agreeable romp through a mock history as seen through a fun house mirror.