THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN
- Colin Fraser
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
TWO AND A HALF STARS A visionary TV executive is hired by the Kremlin to manage the public affairs of a rising political star: Vladimir Putin.
DRAMA US English #THEWIZARDOFTHEKREMLIN Starring Paul Dano, Jude Law
French director Olivier Assayas has polarised audiences and critics alike with films like the terrific PERSONAL SHOPPER and the completely resistible CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA. He’s at it again with this ambitious political docuthriller, THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN. Based on a semi-fictional page-turner about the rise of Putin, Assayas takes his time turning said pages with a film that is both unbearably slow and frustratingly rushed. It has strong performances and fascinating subject matter that manages to both thrill and tire at the same time. It has as many fans as detractors.
Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) is a former TV producer turned spin doctor who becomes instrumental in crafting the political ascent of Vladimir Putin (a magnetic Jude Law). He’s more gate-keeper than magician, yet his strategic manipulations are the stuff of a modern day Rasputin. Here’s a story with genuine intrigue set against the machinery of political propaganda. It’s a fascinating account of a progressive shifting to the far, far right; how the cost of ambition and the corruption of ideals is still manifesting today.
With a thinning comb-over, Law anchors the film. His solid, committed performance brings nuance to a morally compromised character; a raised eyebrow or downturned mouth speaks volumes. Yet as Baranov, Dano delivers an odd, one-note turn that undermines the narrative at critical junctures. It's a surprise from an actor of such range and depth (see LOVE & MERCY). Where we might expect complexity Dano offers a performance that feels weirdly detached, failing to create the compelling dynamic that the story (and we) desperately need.
The core problem, however, lies in pacing. There's simply too much history trying to unfold on screen, and Assayas races through each significant event with such haste that nothing settles long enough to genuinely resonate. Moments that should carry weight - political turning points, personal betrayals, ideological shifts, death, mayhem and, yes, murder - start blurring into one, robbing the narrative of emotional and dramatic impact. An unconvincing romantic subplot doesn’t help all this rushing around which, counterintuitively, draws out an already overlong film.
Further weakening its position is Dano’s intrusive voice-over which permeates the film. Rather than allowing scenes to breathe and audiences to draw their own conclusions, the narration constantly explains, exposits, and guides us through the story. It's clumsy filmmaking that treats viewers with little confidence, and actively distracts from what's unfolding on screen.
THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN feels like a three-hour film crammed into 130 minutes; a long form TV pilot released into cinema. While the director reached for something truly significant, we end up settling for something considerably less satisfying. Yet, and yet, the film has had many excellent reviews in many quarters, revealing once more how Assayas polarises both audiences and critics with a filmmaking voice that is uniquely his own. And if that’s your flavour, here’s a dish you’ll enjoy.
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