Do we all know the leader of the current Russia? I believe that most adults who are aware of the world today do indeed know of Putin. That being said however, we might not all be aware of what occurred to get him where he is today. In what is being presented to its audience as only ‘based’ on the true story, much is there for the viewer to learn. The Wizard of the Kremlin might not specifically be about the President of Russia, but it is indirectly as it follows the man who got the President to where he is today. With just around a two and a half hour runtime, you would never expect to be as interested as you become while watching.
The early 1990s in Russia was chaotic to say the least. Amidst the post-Soviet era, young and brilliant Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano) is headed down a life changing path by taking us through the decades as he is interviewed by Rowland (Jeffrey Wright), his life is revealed. His career started as an artist and slowly progressed from reality TV produced to a spin doctor to the rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin (Jude Law).
It only becomes funny when you might be learning that an American and a British actor are supposed to be portraying two Russians. No disrespect to Dano or Law, but in this primarily French/American produced film on Russian history, I would have hoped for at least some Russian accents. We definitely see the friction with this element. They have completely forgotten about how all of these conversations would have been in Russian. The Wizard of the Kremlin was most definitely made for the Western audience. And you know what, as an English speaker myself, I do believe I learned a bit about the two individuals (even it if was not the full truth).
Continuing down the path to power, Baranov shapes the new Russian government. His world is blurred; truth and lies are no longer distinguishable. The only bit of sanity that appears to remain is the magnetic Ksenia (Alicia Vikander). The chemistry the two have might be the only power that is great enough for Vadim to be tempted away from the danger that has been shaped around him.
The Wizard of the Kremlin hasa Russia man or men I suppose, whose lives are rationally shared from a clear American point of view, or at least those who are not Russian. It is such an interesting thing that nobody could use a Russian accent. As it is for sure fictionally presented in the English language, fair enough that it is all spoken in English. But what catches me completely off are the British accents.
What audience was this made for? Who knows, but at least you can feel educated by the end, maybe. Law, Dano an Vikander clearly hold the film together. The landscape surely is vast and the film comes through the screen quite beautifully. Then with it being perhaps a character study, Dano does do a brilliant job in his portrayal of the wizard. He is so subtle, it is harrowing. In such a silent way, he carries himself across the screen. At the beginning an innocent man who wants more for himself. All that power of course carries with intense consequences. And as Baranov’s life changes before his eyes, his persona does as well. Dano brings us all along the journey his character takes and it is very much how the film remains interesting.
Weird as it may be, The Wizard of the Kremlin is somehow still compelling. In its own weird way, it hooked me. I did, in all honesty, want it to end, but that is not to say it is not a strange form of entertainment. Dano, as his character is too, is essential to the film. Without his performance, it is most definite that the film would not have been the same. The Wizard of the Kremlin has received mixed reviews since its world premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival. It is now headed to UK cinemas on Friday 17 April, 2026. Will you be one of the members of the audience sat in the cinema seats?
