The Wizard of the Kremlin centers on Vadim Baranov, a media advisor to Vladimir Putin, portrayed by Paul Dano, while Jude Law plays Putin. The story blends invented characters with real political figures to trace Russia’s transition from Soviet dictatorship to a new form of czarism. Baranov reflects on his career beginning in the Gorbachev era and continuing through the chaotic 1990s, when Mafia-style capitalism impoverished many and enriched a few. He moves from selling electronics to directing avant-garde theater and pursuing relationships that expose the growing cynicism of the new Russia. The film follows how media manipulation and power reshape culture and politics.
"The wizard of the title isn't actually Putin, but his media advisor Vadim Baranov, played by Paul Dano with plump cheeks that look as hermetically polished as Teflon. During an interview with a Yale professor played by Jeffrey Wright, the now-retired Baranov looks back on his career. It begins during the fall of communism in the Gorbachev era and continues into the lawless '90s, when Mafia-style capitalism impoverished millions but turned some schemers into billionaire oligarchs."
"Blending made-up characters and real life big shots, Assayas and Carrère offer a bouncy history of how Russia went from a Soviet dictatorship to a new kind of czarism. The latest to take a bow is Vladimir Putin. Played by Jude Law - surely Putin would be flattered - he's the dark star at the center of The Wizard of the Kremlin, an exceedingly interesting, if sometimes frustrating, new film."
"In that time, Baranov goes from selling electronics to becoming an avant-garde theater director who falls in love with a cynical actress (Alicia Vikander). When she dumps him for an oil oligarch, Baranov realizes that the arts don't matter in the new, "anything goes" Russia. He decides that he wants"
Read at Kqed
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]