By Keith Walther | Rose Law Group Reporter
Skuchnyy is the Russian word for boring, which is the best way to describe this film, because it makes a Russian chess match look like an action/adventure. Based on the 2022 novel “Le Mage du Kremlin” by Italian-Swiss author Giuliano da Empoli, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” is a historical political drama set in post-Soviet Russia. Despite interesting subject matter, the story runs on like Matryoshka dolls, perpetually dragging at an exhausting pace.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia attempts to navigate democracy with a softer leadership structure. An inexperienced Russian filmmaker, Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano), becomes the unlikely political advisor to Vladimir Putin (Jude Law), who ascends as an instant favorite of the Russian population for his uncompromising strength and promise to lead the motherland back to its former glory. Baranov begins to wonder if he created a monster as Putin’s unquenchable thirst for power consumes, breeding paranoia and silencing of dissention the likes of which haven’t been seen since Stalin.
Have you ever been in a history class taught by a verbose instructor doing their best Ben Stein impression, giving lectures in a sleep-inducing monotone? That is this movie. Directed and co-written by French filmmaker Olivier Assayas, “The Wizard of the Kremlin” features plenty of dialogue but fails to say anything worthy of interest. Olivier seems completely oblivious to compelling storytelling, somehow avoiding the most interesting elements of the Putin regime, instead overexplaining trivial political maneuverings that don’t really matter. It is incomprehensible how this film could be created without truly covering anything of import like the multiple invasions of Ukraine, or political opponents like Navalny and others who were imprisoned or assassinated, or the criminalization of living openly as LGBTQ+. Any of these topics could have offered interesting insight, but Olivier chooses a litany of anecdotes that offer nothing above what viewers already know.
This is supposed to be a film about modern Russia from the early 1990s to current, but Olivier makes it feel like anything but Russia. Sure, the set design and costuming look fairly accurate, but when half the cast speaks with a thick Russian accent and the other, more prominent stars, speak with a British accent, it shows a lack of commitment to authenticity. Even some of the music is mismatched with the time period being depicted, further incriminating Olivier’s attention to detail. The cinematography is also uninspired, further contributing to the endless stream of boredom.
The cast is filled with talent, but the audience wouldn’t know it by these performances. This is perhaps the worst performance of Paul Dano’s career. While he portrays a fictional character, it is a character based on the very real Russian politician Vladislav Surkov. Dano supplies this character with an odd British accent, constantly speaking in a very soft, unemotional monotone as if he were guiding a soothing meditation. If his goal is to lull viewers to sleep with the sound of his voice, then mission accomplished. The constant condescending grin of superiority he plasters on his face only succeeds in giving him a punchable appearance.
Jude Law certainly captures the look of Putin and his facial expressions/mannerisms, but he speaks in his natural British accent, further demonstrating his lack of skill with different dialects as he was guilty of in last year’s “Eden.” Oscar winner Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”) feels utterly pointless in the role as Paul Dano’s love interest, especially since she has zero chemistry with him. Even the usually mesmerizing Jeffrey Wright is minimalized in the role as the American academic who interviews Paul Dano’s character, serving more as the film’s framing device than a three-dimensional character with his own story.
The sluggish pacing, the inconsistent acting, and a narrative that feels like an audio book rereading the same Wikipedia page for over two hours are enough to make you lose consciousness quicker than a heavy dose of Polonium-210. “The Wizard of the Kremlin” takes a timely and intriguing topic of historical impact and turns it into a dreadfully drab filmgoing experience that will inevitably take its place among the worst films of the year.
This movie earns:
