Jude Law Shouldn’t Be This Good as Vladimir Putin
He gives a transfixing performance in a new satire about the Russian president’s rise to power.
TL;DR
- The film *The Wizard of the Kremlin* explores the rise of Vladimir Putin and the political landscape of post-Soviet Russia.
- Jude Law plays Putin in a surprisingly effective and transfixing performance, though he appears late in the film.
- The story primarily follows Vadim Baranov, a political strategist inspired by Vladislav Surkov, charting his three-decade journey.
- Baranov, portrayed by Paul Dano, is depicted as a chameleon who helps shape Putin's public image as a strong leader.
- The film critiques the media's role in packaging political figures and the naivete of those who believed they could control Putin.
- Despite Law's compelling portrayal of Putin, the film's focus on Baranov, who is presented as amoral and unlovable, makes it difficult to empathize with the protagonist.
- Director Olivier Assayas employs a methodical pace, resulting in a compelling, albeit slow-moving, political tragedy.