Whether you know it or not, we are in a way in the midst of a Jude rebirth. The actor has quietly revealed sneaky performance nuanced in several films and series in recent years, with Order be a special star.
So it goes without saying that his last should be another brilliant moment for the actor, but Olivier Assayas’ The Kremlin assistant is a major failure despite a convincing performance of the actor. Based on the novel of the same name of Giuliano Da Empoli, The Kremlin assistant is presented as a work of fiction even if it follows the rise of Vladimir Putin after the fall of the Soviet Union.
We see it through the eyes of Vadim Baranov (Paul Dano, in a cold performance), a figure of fiction based on Vladislav Sarkov, a Russian politician who pulled a lot of ropes behind the scenes. On paper, The Kremlin assistant should work. In addition to Law and Dano, the film also features Alicia Vikander and Jeffrey Wright, takes place during one of the most interesting moments in modern history and is led by one of the most exciting directors who work today.
The Kremlin assistant is difficult for a fault
By adapting the novel, Assayas opts for a clinical approach, framing history through the narration delivered by Wright and Dano which does not do much to provide thematic insight, in place of the plot and the exhibition at a frantic pace which gives the impression that the film speaks to us, not to us.
The Kremlin assistant Tells its story through two deadlines, supervising the story from Vadislav’s point of view after his departure from the Kremlin before going back in time to follow his youth as a young growing artist in the early 90s. He met Ksenia de Vikander and established a relationship with her, but soon prioritizes his own political ambitions to install Putin in the heart of the Russian government.
Law does not even make his first appearance until almost an hour in the film and, moreover, he looks more like Martin Freeman than Vladimir Putin. However, he commands the screen, and Dano’s performance really shine when the pair is together, even if there is not enough.
The Kremlin assistant holds the figure at a distance, which can be the point, but it does not work in a film which is so focused on dialogue. It is supposed to be an inner look at the political machinations of Russia, but its insistence to keep us at the length of the arm hurts more than it helps, even if it feels thematically appropriate.
With the clinical approach of Assayas, there is a stiffness that crosses the whole film that undermines the energy of the director’s vision. There are moments that really click (vikander singing by walking a naked man on a leash stands out). But just when it is going to hit the gas, The Kremlin assistant holds back, until its confusing and out of the left ending which is both abrupt and rightly dark.
The Kremlin assistant At 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.
The Kremlin assistant
- Release date
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January 21, 2026
- Execution time
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156 minutes
- Director
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Olivier Assayas
- Writers
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Emmanuel Carrère
- Producers
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Jeff Rice, Olivier Delbosc, Stuart Manashil, Lee Broda, Robert K. Maclean
