Overview
- The film, released Friday in North American theaters by Vertical, follows its Venice premiere and arrives with fresh reviews.
- Olivier Assayas adapts Giuliano da Empoli’s 2022 novel into a drama told through Vadim Baranov, a fictional spin doctor inspired by Kremlin aide Vladislav Surkov, with Jude Law portraying Vladimir Putin.
- Reviewers praise Law’s quietly menacing presence, while several fault the pacing, the focus on a fictional narrator, and the decision to let most actors keep their natural accents.
- The story dwells on how a media strategist “invents reality,” funding rival groups and shaping public perception to blur truth and propaganda.
- The Venice screening drew a lengthy standing ovation, yet current coverage is split, with the San Francisco Chronicle lauding Law’s command and outlets like FandomWire and Film Festival Today calling the film uneven or dull.