The Wizard of the Kremlin Holds No Magic
A new film adaptation of Giuliano da Empoli’s influential novel opened in cinemas in 2026. The project is directed by Olivier Assayas and scripted by Emmanuel Carrère.
Book background
Da Empoli’s novel first appeared in France in April 2022. It arrived shortly after Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and sold well. Critics also rewarded the book for its brisk narrative and aphoristic style.
The central figure is a manipulative adviser named Vadim Baranov. He is understood to be modelled on Vladislav Surkov.
Adaptation and cast
The film casts Paul Dano as Baranov. Jude Law plays the Russian leader, billed as “the tsar.” Alicia Vikander portrays Ksenia, the romantic interest.
Jeffrey Wright appears as an American academic who serves as the listener for Baranov’s long confession. Will Keen plays the oligarch Boris Berezovsky in key flashbacks.
Plot and structure
The movie uses a frame device. An American scholar arrives in Moscow for a sabbatical and is summoned to Baranov’s dacha.
There, Baranov recounts his career. He moves from theatre and television into political influence, and into the decision to push an FSB chief into politics.
Style and dialogue
The film preserves much of the book’s rhetoric. Scenes rely heavily on voiceover and on direct transfer of the novel’s declarative lines.
That approach leaves the narrative episodic. The constant exposition reduces suspense and dramatic tension.
Performances and direction
Performances have drawn mixed notices. Jude Law’s portrayal of the leader was widely seen as the most forceful.
Critics noted, however, that Law’s natural charisma and English inflection created dissonance. Paul Dano’s Baranov earned particular criticism for mannered vocal choices and a persistent, ingratiating tone.
Alicia Vikander’s role was described as miscast by some observers. The director’s visual choices were also faulted for lacking invention.
Context and reception
Many reviewers argued the film feels overtaken by real-world events. Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine shifted the cultural frame since the book’s publication.
Giuliano da Empoli later acknowledged he would have struggled to write the same book once the war’s full consequences were apparent. He has since published a darker follow-up, The Hour of the Predator, which references pop-culture examples including Squid Game.
Final appraisal
On screen, the supposed wizard behind the Kremlin holds no magic. The picture’s fidelity to its source exposes limits in the original material.
This review appears in the 15 Apr 2026 issue of Filmogaz.com.
