Jude Law transforms into a fascinating Vladimir Putin in Venice and we believe it.

As the war in Ukraine continues , demonstrating Vladimir Putin's unwavering determination to continue his advance, The Magician of the Kremlin is being shown at the Venice Film Festival. It is a film that tells the story of the network that has allowed the rise of totalitarianism exercised by Putin. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Giuliano da Empoli (2022), a bestseller in France and winner of the Grand Prize for Novel by the French Academy, and which filmmaker Olivier Assayas has adapted to film with Jude Law as Putin and Paul Dano in the role of Vadim Baranov , a key figure in the rise of the former KGB agent.

Let's leave for later the obvious question that assails us after watching the meticulous 156 minutes of this fascinating and devastating thriller , centered on the doubt of whether Putin will ever be 'deactivated', to delve into this story "based on real and contemporary events", as it says at the beginning of the film that precisely begins in the turbulent 90s in a post-Soviet society that is falling apart, while paradoxically trying to reinvent itself.

A certain Vadim Baranov, the magician in question, takes the floor to guide us through these social changes, but above all, he introduces us to the political transformation in Russia , where power is understood differently: it's not money that's important, it's privilege; it's not democracy that's relevant, it's absolute control exercised with Stalin's voice as its guiding light.

Paul Dano provides Baranov with the necessary gravitas, straight face, and monotone, first in a conversation with an American journalist ( Jeffrey Wright ) who magically comes to visit him at the retreat, and then becomes his guide throughout the story. “Neither I nor anyone else, including you, is safe in Russia,” Baranov tells the journalist from the outset of the encounter.

While Vadim Baranov is a fictional character, The Magician of the Kremlin recreates Vladislav Yurievich Surkov , who for 20 years (until he was officially dismissed) helped shape the (perverse) Russian political game that prevails today. It's no coincidence that Surkov (whose whereabouts are unknown since 2022) was nicknamed "the Kremlin ideologue."

'The Magician of the Kremlin' recreates Vladislav Yurievich Surkov, who for 20 years helped shape the (perverse) Russian political game that prevails today.

But what does it matter if some names don't correspond to the real ones? With the facts, most of them well known, we have plenty to connect the dots, to bristle, to (yes) be more afraid than before. We see how the Russian oligarchs are falling one by one (assassinated, exiled, imprisoned, disappeared...), we see how the idea of ​​the new Russia (powerful, sovereign, powerful) is taking root and strengthening both in political circles and in reactionary groups.

The revolution in Ukraine, the war in Chechnya and Crimea , the sinking of the Kursk submarine, the rise of Russian bots, and even Pussy Riot are also described. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin (under his real name), nicknamed The Tsar , increasingly clings to power.

This isn't the first time Oliver Assayas has waded into thorny terrain. He did so with the successful series and film Carlos (2010), about the terrorist The Jackal, and with the much less spectacular The Wasp Network (2019), about the network of Cuban spies infiltrating the Cuban dissidence in 1990s Miami. However, The Magician of the Kremlin is a different animal, explosive from every angle, given the here and now in which we live.

Jude Law doesn't seem to shy away from roles with major political implications. A year after presenting Justin Kurzel's The Order , he returns to the Venice Film Festival, physically transformed , and without any difficulty, into the Putin we all (think we) know after more than two decades in power. Law plays, but doesn't imitate, much less caricature, the man who dominates and manipulates the global political scene, keeping the world in suspense.

He spoke precisely about the lack of apprehensions he might very well have in embodying the Russian leader-dictator at the press conference held a few hours after the first screening of this film, which is competing for the Golden Lion. He maintained that he isn't afraid of repercussions, even though he might be naive. "I was confident that in Olivier (Assayas's) hands, this story would be told with intelligence, nuance, and consideration," he noted, before adding that the intention wasn't to create controversy for nothing. "He's a character within a much larger story, so we're not trying to define anything about anyone," the English actor exuded caution.

Now that we're talking about being careful, let's return to the question we left hanging: Will Vladimir Putin ever be able to be defused?

Carmen Maura eternal

The one we can't imagine ever turning off is our Carmen Maura , who as the protagonist of Calle Málaga returns to the Venice Film Festival, the same stage where she arrived almost 40 years ago with Pedro Almodóvar to present Women of a Nervous Breakdown.

The highly anticipated film, directed and co-written by Maryam Touzani and also featuring Marta Etura, is part of the Spotlight section. In it, Maura plays María Ángeles, one of the many Spanish women born and raised in Tangier, but forced to leave her home due to a decision made by her daughter (Etura), who now lives in Madrid.

Carmen Maura is splendid in her portrayal of a woman who does everything possible to resist the life she's built after becoming a widow, enjoying her surroundings and her everyday life. The almost octogenarian defends her freedom and free will with grace and courage , embarking on a heartwarming journey of sexual reinvention and rediscovery.

Seeing Carmen Maura's sparkling eyes on the big screens at the Venice Film Festival is definitely priceless, as is seeing in a packed house that her magic and humor remain intact.