Robert Pulcini

In Vladimir (2026), the professor’s fantasies recur often enough to become a problem. Rachel Weisz keeps her midlife crisis amusing, but the series relies too heavily on returning to those fantasies. We grew impatient with the repetition, despite enjoying the company of this difficult woman. Pulcini’s interest in outsiders suits the material, and we find the series worth trying with reservations: its uneven storytelling gives Weisz more to carry than a leading performance ought to.

His taste for mixing storytelling methods was already apparent in American Splendor (2003), the first narrative feature he made with Shari Springer Berman after their documentary work in the late 1990s. Acted scenes, documentary footage and animation sit within the same film. We rate that willingness to find an unusual form for a story, though the novelty needs to keep earning its place. It would also be misleading to discuss Pulcini as if he worked alone.

Berman is his frequent co-director and co-writer; Pulcini has often handled visuals and camera work while she works closely with actors. That division should make us cautious about crediting either of them with everything we like in a performance or an image. Pulcini’s subsequent features include the comedy adaptation The Nanny Diaries (2007) and the horror film Things Heard & Seen (2021). The results have not been consistent: Girl Most Likely (2012) received mixed notices for uneven tone and under-developed characters.

From 2019, he has worked primarily in television, directing episodes of Succession (2018) and Fleishman Is in Trouble (2022). His account of directing Succession emphasises the live screen feeds and the characters’ reactions to leaked news. It suggests a practical concern with what the actors are responding to, rather than simply where to put the camera. Try Vladimir for Weisz if difficult people are your kind of company; expect to need some patience with the storytelling.