‘Vladimir’ Is a New Comedy on Netflix. But It Maybe Is Weird About Women’s Obsessions?
The new Netflix comedy Vladimir stars Rachel Weisz as a professor whose latest obsession is a new professor named Vlad (Leo Woodall). While the show is all about sexuality and desire, there are some weirder elements with Vlad and the Protagonist’s relationship.
Vladimir follows the Protagonist (Weisz) as she is navigating her husband’s public affair. The twist is that she knew about it because they have an “agreement.” This all leads to her obsession with a new professor who comes to town with his young wife (Jessica Henwick) and child. But for every “good deed” the Protagonist does for them, it only happens because she wants to get closer to Vlad.
My issue with the series isn’t that an older woman is obsessed with a younger man. It is, however, the fact that Vlad is boring as can be. That’s nothing against Leo Woodall who is completely charming and adorable when he needs to be. But the character of Vlad himself is not exactly the most captivating human. And his wife Cynthia says as much.
So is this insinuating that older women have boring taste in men? Or is it just that she’s so captivated by how beautiful he is, she ignores how boring he ends up being? I’m fine with it either way but it is a very weird choice for a show like this. Especially when so much of her attention is spent on him being this figment of her imagination.
You’d think at least dream Vlad would be fun
I do love that the show doesn’t pretend like Vlad is exciting. As I said, Cynthia even says that he’s boring and says she wishes he would sleep with someone else. But Vladimir doesn’t really do enough to make me understand why the Protagonist is so captivated by him. She is married to John Slattery, after all!
Her husband very clearly loves her and even admits that he doesn’t love their arrangement that she put forward. And still, she is enthralled by Vlad’s praise and attention. I mean look, I get it. Sometimes when you like someone, the most boring parts about them are suddenly thrilling. And Leo Woodall is charming and a cutie. But still, I am perplexed.
Maybe it is because I am closer in age to Vlad and Cynthia that I don’t understand the motivations and obsession of the Protagonist but that is also a fault of the show. They don’t take the time to show us why he is the object of her fantasy, especially when her past relationships have all seemingly been with older men or men similar in age and status.
I get the appeal, I do, but I don’t think Vladimir put in the effort to really make the dynamic between Vlad and the Protagonist work. So instead, I was left wondering what exactly this show was trying to say about older women and the appeal of a younger man. From what I got, it doesn’t seem good and I don’t think that’s what Vladimir was tryin to do.
(featured image: Netflix)
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