★★★★☆
There are certain places in the world that fascinate me despite never having visited them, and Russia is one of them. Its snow-covered forests, imposing cities, complex history and political intrigue have always drawn me in.
I had just finished reading Red Notice by Bill Browder, an extraordinary account of the rise of the oligarchs, Boris Yeltsin’s turbulent presidency and Vladimir Putin’s consolidation of power, when The Wizard of the Kremlin landed on my desk. The timing couldn’t have been better.
Directed by Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Carlos), and adapted with Emmanuel Carrère from Giuliano da Empoli’s bestselling novel, The Wizard of the Kremlin is historical fiction rooted firmly in real events.
While its central character, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), is fictional, he is heavily inspired by Vladislav Surkov, the political strategist widely regarded as one of the architects of modern Russia. Around him are real historical figures, including Boris Yeltsin, oligarch Boris Berezovsky and, of course, Vladimir Putin.
The film charts Baranov’s remarkable journey from avant-garde artist to television producer, before becoming the unofficial adviser and image-maker to the little-known former KGB officer who would soon become President of Russia.
What unfolds isn’t simply the story of Putin’s rise, but an exploration of how narratives are created, power is manufactured, and history is quietly shaped behind closed doors.
Interestingly, Assayas has admitted he initially believed the novel was impossible to adapt for the screen. The book is driven by ideas, dialogue and political philosophy, and he questioned whether those qualities could make for compelling cinema.
In many ways, those challenges remain visible in the finished film. The Wizard of the Kremlin packs more than two decades of Russian history into its running time and moves at a relentless pace.
If you’re familiar with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the oligarch era and Putin’s ascent, the experience is gripping. If you’re not, you may occasionally find yourself scrambling to keep up. Personally, I found that confidence refreshing. The film refuses to simplify history or spoon-feed its audience, trusting viewers to connect the dots themselves.
Paul Dano delivers another quietly brilliant performance as Vadim Baranov. He plays the political strategist with remarkable restraint, rarely raising his voice or losing his composure, even as the moral cost of his work steadily increases.
His calm exterior masks a man constantly calculating several moves ahead, making Baranov compelling and enigmatic. Dano perfectly captures the detached intellectual who slowly realises that, in shaping history, he has also become trapped by it.
Jude Law’s portrayal of Vladimir Putin is equally impressive. Rather than turning him into a caricature or outright villain, Law presents Putin as an observant, quietly calculating figure whose confidence grows almost imperceptibly as power accumulates around him.
Having clearly studied Putin’s posture, speech patterns and mannerisms, Law delivers an eerily authentic performance, never feeling like imitation for its own sake. The film hints at Putin’s ruthlessness without reducing him to a one-dimensional monster, making the character all the more unsettling.
Alicia Vikander plays Ksenia, Baranov’s long-time companion and, in many ways, his conscience. Initially, I questioned whether the character was necessary, but as the story unfolded, I came to appreciate her role.
In a world dominated by ambition, manipulation and political gamesmanship, Ksenia provides a rare emotional anchor, reminding Baranov and the audience of the humanity gradually slipping away.
One creative decision I particularly appreciated was Assayas’ choice not to force his cast into exaggerated Russian accents. The actors largely retain their natural voices, allowing the performances to remain authentic rather than distracting audiences with inconsistent dialect work.
It may seem unusual initially, but I quickly stopped noticing. In fact, it helped distinguish the various characters and social classes far more naturally than a collection of uneven accents would have.
Visually, the film is beautifully realised. François-Renaud Labarthe’s production design, Jürgen Doering’s costumes and the hair and makeup all convincingly recreate post-Soviet Russia, from smoke-filled political offices to bleak apartment blocks and snow-covered streets.
Yorick Le Saux’s cinematography captures Russia’s icy beauty with understated elegance. Marion Monnier’s editing cleverly blends archival news footage with fictional scenes, constantly blurring the line between documented history and dramatic interpretation.
What surprised me most, however, is that despite its title, The Wizard of the Kremlin isn’t really about Vladimir Putin. It’s about complicity. It’s about the advisers, strategists, media architects and political operators who quietly build systems of power while convincing themselves they’re simply doing their jobs.
The film asks uncomfortable questions about where responsibility truly lies and whether history is shaped by leaders or by the people standing just behind them.
That said, this isn’t a film for everyone. Audiences looking for a conventional political thriller may find its dialogue-heavy approach demanding, and viewers with little interest in Russian history could struggle with the sheer volume of political context packed into its two-and-a-quarter-hour runtime.
But for those fascinated by modern Russia, the psychology of power and the machinery behind political storytelling, it’s absolutely engrossing.
The Wizard of the Kremlin is an intelligent, ambitious and thought-provoking political drama elevated by superb performances from Paul Dano and Jude Law. It asks a lot of its audience, but if you’re willing to meet it on its own terms, the rewards are substantial.
THE WIZARD OF THE KREMLIN opens on Thursday 23 July in participating cinemas nationally.
Website: https://rialtodistribution.com/film/the-wizard-of-the-kremlin/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/rialtodistributionau/
Photo credits: Carol Bethuel. Watch the trailer below:
Film details:
Title: The Wizard of the Kremlin
Director: Olivier Assayas
Cast: Jude Law, Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge
Country of Origin: France
Duration: 114 mins
Rating: MA 15+
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