The Trailer for The Wizard of the Kremlin: Jude Law Portrays Vladimir Putin in Olivier Assayas' Political Drama

      After one of his smaller films, Suspended Time, Olivier Assayas has released his latest work, the grand political drama The Wizard of the Kremlin, inspired by Giuliano da Empoli. The film features Jude Law portraying Vladimir Putin, alongside Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge, Will Keen, and Jeffrey Wright. Selected for the Venice Film Festival, Vertical has acquired the film for a May 15 release, and the first trailer has now been unveiled.

      The synopsis reads: “Amidst the turmoil of post-Soviet Russia, KGB officer Vladimir Putin (Jude Law) allies with master manipulator Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) to transform life behind the Iron Curtain, resorting to violence and deceit to forever alter the world. The reign of chaos initiated by Putin and Baranov starts with lies and corruption, quickly escalating to assassinations, tyranny, and ultimately, all-out war.”

      In her review from Venice, Savina Petkova remarked, “Audiences were hesitant towards Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice due to the portrayal of Donald Trump as a protagonist, yet throughout The Wizard of the Kremlin, there’s never any ambiguity regarding its main character. Assayas’ film does not challenge Baranov as a narrator, thus allowing a cynical interpretation. After all, isn’t it cynical to insist on condensing ongoing events into a cohesive narrative? While we often recognize films that delve into form fetishes, we must also be cautious of a content fetish.”

      Watch the trailer below, along with a recent discussion from Rendez-Vous with French Cinema, and find Nick Newman’s conversation with Assayas regarding the Kremlin here.