Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is one of the scariest dudes in the world. He’ll poison your drink, force you to take a long walk off a short pier, or swan dive off a tall building just for looking at him funny. But somehow he’s not as terrifying when played by Jude Law, as seen in the trailer for Olivier Assayas’ dark comedy satire, The Wizard of the Kremlin, which was nominated for a Golden Lion following its Venice premiere.
Based on the book by Giuliano da Empoli, The Wizard of the Kremlin stars Law as a young Putin during his rise to power after the fall of the Soviet Union. Paul Dano stars as the fictional Vadim Baranov, who becomes an influential figure standing by Putin’s side as a new government forms.
The impressive ensemble includes Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright, Tom Sturridge, and Will Keen.
It’s been a quiet few years for Assayas, when it seemed like the filmmaker had a new project always right around the corner. He most recently directed Suspended Time in 2024 but it really flew under the radar compared to his earlier work in Clouds of Sils Maria, Personal Shopper, Summer Hours, and Wasp Network.
SYNOPSIS: The year is 2019. An American journalist (Wright) with a longstanding interest in Russian history is invited to the luxurious dacha of Vadim Baranov (Dano), once dubbed “the new Rasputin” for the 15 years he spent as a close advisor to Vladimir Putin (Law). Having retired from politics, Baranov looks back on his incredible life, from his university days in the immediate post-Soviet era — when he met the love of his life (Vikander) — to his tenure overseeing trashy television shows to his role in transforming a seemingly uncharismatic Federal Security Service chief into Russia’s indomitable president. The Chechen war, the sinking of the Kursk nuclear submarine, interference in foreign politics, the monopolization of power: these and other colossal events unfolded under Baranov’s watch, whether he approved or not.
The Wizard of the Kremlin doesn’t have a domestic date yet, but hopefully that will change soon.
