The Last Station

Run, don’t walk to the nearest theater showing The Last Station! This week’s film was one of the most enjoyable we have seen in a long time. It is based on the novel by Jay Parini and directed by Michael Hoffman.

We were captivated right from the beginning – I’m not even sure where to start with all of the praise this movie is due. Most of us know of Leo Tolstoy as the author of War and Peace and Ana Karenina. None of us knew there was a story behind this man that was worthy of the big screen. Hoffman is masterful in his presentation of the tortured Tolstoy as he struggled in later life with his fame, his wealth, and his faith. Christopher Plummer is Leo Tolstoy and suffice it to say – he is Leo Tolstoy. His look, his voice, his gait and even his breathing were riveting elements of a man that lived over a century ago. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and my personal favorite to win.

Helen Mirren plays the Countess Sofya – his wife of almost 50 years. Their love has a depth that goes beyond our imaginations and by the time we meet them, it has already spanned half a century. Mirren’s portrayal of the heartbroken wife of a man who has all but left her for his faith, is astounding. She is an actress that brings an emotional depth to Sofya that has us all thoroughly convinced. Mirren and Plummer almost seem to dance on screen with their chemisty. They had a passionate and volatile romance that struggled to survive Tolstoy’s final years as he embraced a life of celibacy with his newly developed faith and ideals known as the Tolstoyan movement. Even he was challenged by their history and could not ever fully escape their love’s grasp on him.

His friend and confidante was Vladimir Chertkov who was played brilliantly by Paul Giamotti. The intense conflict that exists between he and Sofya for Tolstoy’s attention is palpable.

James McAvoy plays Valentin Bulgakov who joins the estate to be Tolstoy’s assistant. He hopes to learn from the master the fundamentals of the movement that he has already been practicing. He too will discover his own love that will threaten his faith and in the end allow him to be the teacher to the great one.

A must see movie – before the awards show!! We rated it 5 out of 5!!!