Olivier Assayas on Charting Putin's Rise in 'The Wizard of the Kremlin'

French director Olivier Assayas is no stranger to difficult men.

In the past, he’s tackled controversial characters embroiled in high-stake political schemes, such as the Venezuelan revolutionary Ilich Ramírez Sánchez (“Carlos”) and the espionage ring known as the Cuban Five (“WASP Network”). Yet, in “ The Wizard of the Kremlin ,” his timely English language feature debut, the French director pushes the envelope further with a subtle, at times darkly comic portrayal of Vladimir Putin ( Jude Law ). The film charts the Russian leader’s ascent to power amid post-Soviet chaos, aided by versatile spin doctor Vadim Baranov ( Paul Dano ) — a fictional character inspired by real-life fixer, Vladislav Sourkov.

Adapted by Assayas and Emmanuel Carrère from Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 bestsel