The Wizard of the Kremlin- Glasgow Film Festival

The Wizard of the Kremlin is one of the many thrillers screening at Glasgow Film Festival this year and it certainly stands out, but not necessarily for all the right reasons. 

Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov in The Wizard of the Kremlin

Olivier Assayas’ newest film features a star-studded cast: Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander and Jude Law star in the fictional retelling of Putin’s rise to control in Russia. While Paul Dano provides a lukewarm performance compared to some of his previous power house roles, Jude Law is the real standout star of The Wizard of the Kremlin. Law’s iteration of Putin provides a more personal look at the politician, with an intense temper and exaggerated pout building an image of who he is in private versus when he's addressing the nation. The Sandman star Tom Sturridge also stars as an eccentric oligarch and, whilst his Russian accent is a tad ropey, his magnetic performance certainly pulled my attention compared to the more subdued acting in this film.

Before I get to my largest issue with The Wizard of the Kremlin, it is worth noting the GFF audience reaction. The final moments of the film received a very visceral reaction from those viewing the film in the Glasgow Film Theatre, and the comedic moments often got the odd chuckle from myself and the rest of audience. However, on the whole, it is hard to tell what The Wizard of the Kremlin wants to be. One moment it’s a harrowing retelling of some of Russia’s harshest political events, then the next moment we are meant to believe that Paul Dano in a mullet-like wig is a freshly enrolled University student. Whilst some films benefit from contrasting tonal changes, The Wizard of the Kremlin attempts to utilise a divisive technique: chapters cards.

Jude Law as Valdimir Putin in The Wizard of the Kremlin

Splitting films into chapters has become an increasingly popular technique to pace films with a longer run-time, however in the case of Assayas’ newest film it hinders rather than helps the pacing of the film. Flashy title cards declare events or timeline stamps throughout Russia’s history following a fade to black from whatever scene takes place before it. Whilst I assume this was not the intention of the filmmaker, these cards come off as campy and comical rather than satirical. When watching a scene about Dano’s character losing his girlfriend to another man, you certainly don’t anticipate light-up lettering reading ‘The End of the Oligarchs’ to pop up with an animated jail cell slamming shut behind them. Compared to the impressive cinematography throughout, these chapter cards cheapen the film and feel entirely unnecessary. I may be biased, as the rising number of films unnecessarily splitting the story into designated sections has become somewhat of a pet peeve of mine. That isn’t to say I don’t think it can’t be done well: Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein, Julie Marie Pacino’s I Live Here Now or Zach Cregger's Weapons are all examples of a film benefitting from the use of chapter cards both stylistically and in helping the film’s pacing. However, the same cannot be said for The Wizard of the Kremlin and ultimately it pulls the audience away from the strong performances on show.

Jude Law as Vladimir Putin and Paul Dano as Vadim Baranov

While The Wizard of the Kremlin may not be my favourite watch of GFF so far, it is certainly something different. If you’re looking for a slow-burn political thriller, this one is for you. If you’re looking for outstanding performances or a quicker watch, maybe look elsewhere.