Venice Film Festival Showcases Olivier Assayas’ ‘The Wizard of the Kremlin’ to Mixed Reviews

Olivier Assayas’ latest film, *The Wizard of the Kremlin*, premiered at the Venice Film Festival, adapting Giuliano da Empoli’s novel.

The story follows Vadim Baranov, a young producer turned political strategist for Vladimir Putin, with standout performances by Jude Law and Paul Dano. Critics laud Law’s chilling portrayal of Putin and Dano’s nuanced Baranov as the narrative’s backbone.

However, the film has garnered a modest 46% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 13 reviews. The primary criticism targets its pacing and 2-hour-36-minute runtime, likened to a “mini-series played at 1.5x speed.” The plot, rich with political events and characters, is deemed overly dense, bogging down the storytelling despite its historical significance.

The film’s “magic” divides audiences: some praise the strong acting and timely theme, while others see a chaotic overload better suited for a mini-series format.

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