A period romance set during the last year of the life and turbulent marriage of the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren).
After almost fifty years of marriage, Sofya – Tolstoy's devoted wife, lover, muse and secretary – suddenly finds her world turned upside down. In the name of his newly created religion, the novelist has renounced his noble title, his property and even his family (including their 13 children) in favour of poverty, vegetarianism and celibacy. Sofya also discovers that Tolstoy's trusted disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) may have convinced her husband to change his will, leaving the rights to his iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his own family. Consumed by righteous outrage, Sofya fights fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers.
Into this minefield wanders Tolstoy's worshipful new assistant, the gullible Valentin (James McAvoy), who quickly becomes a pawn – first of the scheming Chertkov and then of the wounded, vengeful Sofya.
Based on Jay Parini’s 1990 novel of the same name, Last Station is a charming and compelling account of Tolstoy’s last year. Writer-director Hoffman does a fantastic job of keeping the action bowling along while also giving his actors time to develop their rich characters.
And what performances they give. Plummer (The Sound of Music) is delightfully earnest and eccentric (think somewhere between Anthony Hopkins’ John Kellogg and John Neville’s Baron Munchhausen) as the world’s, then, most celebrated writer, while Mirren gives an emotionally raw and fraught performance as his long complaining/suffering wife. There are echoes of Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf? in their bickering (“You insist on making this an opera house”) but beneath it all you can sense the 48 years of companionship.
Almost equally impressive is the near-forgotten James McAvoy. As in The Last King of Scotland, he plays a private advisor with an armchair view of history and like that film he portrays the moral dilemma he finds his character placed in with subtlety and strength.
Music plays a significant part in the film with Sergei Yevtushenko’s (Russian Ark) elegant score combining magnificently with selected operatic pieces (a fight building in tension in time to an aria is a highlight).
By James Croot, Flicks.co.nz
Fantastic acting, fantastic script--this is a classic and has all the right attributes that a movie should have.
very enjoyable
Would have walked out but thought it might get better.. it didnt. Took a long time to see an old man die. Too much shouting and dramatic music. Plot and dialogue too modern. Dissappointing.
Well worth the going to, excellent acting and well portrayed.
Some women are simply sexy forever. Helen Mirren is a woman like that. She's 64. As she enters her 70s, we'll begin to develop a fondness for sexy septuagenarians.
Handsome, engrossing, frequently very funny for a literary bio drama, and ultimately deeply moving, with pitch-perfect performances from one and all.
Tolstoy's autumn years are turned into sitcom farce, with unspectacular result.
Three superb performances by Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer and James McAvoy should have Oscar handicappers drooling.
For those who enjoy actors who can play it up without ever overplaying their hands, The Last Station is the destination of choice.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 3rd Jun 2010.
Release date: June 3rd 2010.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
