Vladimir: A Portrait of Self-Deception and Obsession In the final act of Netflix’s Vladimir, Rachel Weisz’s character confronts the tangled web of relationships that have ensnared her. She realizes her younger colleague, Vlad (Leo Woodall), has been clinging to a narrative of his own about their ambiguous flirtation, while her philandering husband, John (John Slattery), has been operating under a different set of assumptions. Both men see her as a peripheral figure in their personal stories, believing their lives will unfold according to their own designs. But she warns that there are forces beyond their control—most notably, herself. Weisz’s portrayal of the antiheroine, a woman who is both hilariously blinkered and oddly compelling, elevates Julia May Jonas’ adaptation of her novel into a more complex and layered narrative than its feminist undertones might initially suggest. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a prestigious liberal arts college, where John, once the head of the English department, faces accusations of sexual misconduct with his students. The women involved, now in their late 20s, claim his actions constituted abuse of power, while John insists they were all consenting adults, even his wife, who allegedly agreed to an open marriage. Our protagonist, a creative writing professor, initially sides with her husband, avoiding discussions of the scandal and deflecting with phrases like “it was a different time.” Her narration, which breaks the fourth wall with a sardonic edge, critiques the women’s willingness to surrender their agency to affairs they chose to have. Yet she hesitates to voice these thoughts to her students, who are eager to see John removed and her to stop “doing the supportive wife thing.” As John’s disciplinary hearing approaches, her infatuation with Vlad intensifies.#rachel_weisz #julia_may_jonas #john_slattery #leo_woodall #vladimir
