The Last Station (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Going into the theater, I knew almost nothing about Lev Tolstoy, his wife, & his last year or so on Earth. Because of this newfound knowledge, the acting, the production values, & a nifty little screenplay ... I was able to really enjoy Michael Hoffman's 'The Last Station'. There's nothing amazing about it. It's lighthearted 1st half gives way to a dour, serious 2nd. But I'm really glad to have witnessed this film. The film starts in Russia in 1910 with Tolstoy's (Christopher Plummer) health in general decline. His 48 yr. marriage with the devoted, loving, but tempestuous Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren) runs hot & cold. Tolstoy, here at age 81, recently renounced his property & family in favor of a lower-class lifestyle, vegetarianism, & celibacy.
Sofya, muse of several of his finest works (War & Peace, Anna Karenina), resents Tolstoy's growing distaste for wealth & is horrified that he's considering re-writing his Will to give up his wealth & works to the public. And she blames Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), headman for the 'Tolstoyians' (a group of Christian anarchists), for convincing her husband to re-write the Will. Unfortunately, for Sofya, one of their own daughters (they had 13 children!) is on Chertkov/Daddy's side of seeing things, as well. Funny enough, Tolstoy himself acknowledges that he does not stick to his own philosophies of life; which promotes chastity, & opposes private property. Basically ... he doesn't feel like he can live up to his fan's expectations, & doesn't truly believe in his own words.
The movie's main character, however, is Valentin Bulakov (James McAvoy), a young man who is brought in by Chertkov for the dual purpose of serving as Tolstoy's latest personal secretary as well as providing him a detailed account of every interaction btwn. Tolstoy & Sofya. Valentin is pure, innocent, & completely idolizes Tolstoy. So the fact that he has to basically spy on them makes him all churned up inside; the poor guy's even prone to sneezing when placed in nervous situations. Almost immediately, Valentin becomes one of Tolstoy's confidants, & he witnesses not only the tumultuous moments in the marriage, but also learns that politics have already tainted Tolstoyian philosophy. In fact, Valentin's devotion to those very philosophies/principles are put to the test (celibacy) when he falls in love with Masha (Kerry Condon), a commune worker who puts a high price on both love AND physical intimacy. Having gotten quite close to both Tolstoy & Sofya, can he balance their trust in him while working for the somewhat-villainous Chertkov? And will Valentin's newfound sexual awakening inhibit his duties, and/or make him question the very Tolstoy principles he once cherished?
Tolstoy died shortly after all the brouhaha with Chertkov, Valentin, & the new Will. And the movie does an admirable job trying to make the writer's life compelling on film; not an easy thing to do. The last 30 min. chronicles Tolstoy's health decline in the 'last train station' he was stopped at. The mood is appropriately somber. I wouldn't say that the film achieves gut-wrenching tragedy (which is what I think it was aiming for). But it does achieve a degree of pathos. Overall, this film pays great homage to one of Russia's 2 best-known 19th c. authors. Because the film focuses on Tolstoy's intriguing last year, we don't get a full scope of the man & his achievements. But the screenplay does fill in the empty spots with interesting tidbits.
Director Michael Hoffman does a great job balancing the intelligent script, the juicy dialogue, the energetic actors, & establishing a wonderful sense of mood, time, & place. Though filmed in Germany, you really get a sense that you're witnessing early 20th century pastoral Russia; wonderful production values (recreating the Russian landscape), intricate sets, lavish costumes, & particularly - the musical score. Really, I agree with critic Roger Ebert in that - this movie reminds me of those wonderful Merchant/Ivory productions from the early 1990's (Room with a View, Howards End, Remains of the Day). There are a couple of wonderful sequences throughout the film. One includes Valentin (McAvoy) starting to cry in humility when his elder idol (Plummer) questions him about his own writings -- just, an awesome cinematic moment. Another great scene is a sweet, quirky one btwn. Plummer & Mirren in their bedroom.
Much has been said about Plummer & Mirren's (particularly her) over-the-top, grandiose style of acting, here. In short, several stretches (not all) of their performances become quite Shakespearean (you know, mushy affection, followed by plate smashing, screaming, hand wringing, hyperventilating, gun flailing, suicide attempts, etc.). The thing with that is: Tolstoy & Sofya's marriage was very 'can't live with, can't live without'. And they were celebrities of their time; always being filmed, always being photographed, & always had secretaries/journalists jotting down their every word & action. They were performers who thrived on knowing that people were interested in them. So yes, theatricality (& maybe some mood disorders) was at play.
The worst I can say about 'The Last Station' is that it doesn't go into too much psychological or philosophical depth. Every character is interesting. But there's an "it is what it is" type feeling to the film, overall. Helen Mirren is excellent as the concerned, impassioned, yet tormented Sofya. You know, she loved Tolstoy so much that she even copied War & Peace for him 6 times by hand! And we understand why she's so turbulent towards him with the recent buzz of a new Will leaving everything to Russia. I felt for her.
James McAvoy excels here as the shy, nervous Valentin. Without being proactive (Mirren & Plummer's roles are ripe), he's more reserved, & reactive. We see the movie through his eyes. Anne-Marie Duff (McAvoy's real life wife) is stellar as one of Tolstoy & Sofya's daughters. Paul Giamatti plays the dubious villain-with-a-noble-cause very well. Kerry Condon has great chemistry with McAvoy as his love interest. And as Tolstoy, Christopher Plummer plays the "old goat" role wonderfully. It's a quiet performance. But there's enough nuance for us to see his undying, but dissonant love for both his wife AND what he stood for philosophically. Overall, 'The Last Station' is a delightfully entertaining historical drama about love & madness. It gave me the chance to learn about Tolstoy, his background, & fascinating marriage. And it really could have made more of a splash this Oscar season.
Sofya, muse of several of his finest works (War & Peace, Anna Karenina), resents Tolstoy's growing distaste for wealth & is horrified that he's considering re-writing his Will to give up his wealth & works to the public. And she blames Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), headman for the 'Tolstoyians' (a group of Christian anarchists), for convincing her husband to re-write the Will. Unfortunately, for Sofya, one of their own daughters (they had 13 children!) is on Chertkov/Daddy's side of seeing things, as well. Funny enough, Tolstoy himself acknowledges that he does not stick to his own philosophies of life; which promotes chastity, & opposes private property. Basically ... he doesn't feel like he can live up to his fan's expectations, & doesn't truly believe in his own words.
The movie's main character, however, is Valentin Bulakov (James McAvoy), a young man who is brought in by Chertkov for the dual purpose of serving as Tolstoy's latest personal secretary as well as providing him a detailed account of every interaction btwn. Tolstoy & Sofya. Valentin is pure, innocent, & completely idolizes Tolstoy. So the fact that he has to basically spy on them makes him all churned up inside; the poor guy's even prone to sneezing when placed in nervous situations. Almost immediately, Valentin becomes one of Tolstoy's confidants, & he witnesses not only the tumultuous moments in the marriage, but also learns that politics have already tainted Tolstoyian philosophy. In fact, Valentin's devotion to those very philosophies/principles are put to the test (celibacy) when he falls in love with Masha (Kerry Condon), a commune worker who puts a high price on both love AND physical intimacy. Having gotten quite close to both Tolstoy & Sofya, can he balance their trust in him while working for the somewhat-villainous Chertkov? And will Valentin's newfound sexual awakening inhibit his duties, and/or make him question the very Tolstoy principles he once cherished?
Tolstoy died shortly after all the brouhaha with Chertkov, Valentin, & the new Will. And the movie does an admirable job trying to make the writer's life compelling on film; not an easy thing to do. The last 30 min. chronicles Tolstoy's health decline in the 'last train station' he was stopped at. The mood is appropriately somber. I wouldn't say that the film achieves gut-wrenching tragedy (which is what I think it was aiming for). But it does achieve a degree of pathos. Overall, this film pays great homage to one of Russia's 2 best-known 19th c. authors. Because the film focuses on Tolstoy's intriguing last year, we don't get a full scope of the man & his achievements. But the screenplay does fill in the empty spots with interesting tidbits.
Director Michael Hoffman does a great job balancing the intelligent script, the juicy dialogue, the energetic actors, & establishing a wonderful sense of mood, time, & place. Though filmed in Germany, you really get a sense that you're witnessing early 20th century pastoral Russia; wonderful production values (recreating the Russian landscape), intricate sets, lavish costumes, & particularly - the musical score. Really, I agree with critic Roger Ebert in that - this movie reminds me of those wonderful Merchant/Ivory productions from the early 1990's (Room with a View, Howards End, Remains of the Day). There are a couple of wonderful sequences throughout the film. One includes Valentin (McAvoy) starting to cry in humility when his elder idol (Plummer) questions him about his own writings -- just, an awesome cinematic moment. Another great scene is a sweet, quirky one btwn. Plummer & Mirren in their bedroom.
Much has been said about Plummer & Mirren's (particularly her) over-the-top, grandiose style of acting, here. In short, several stretches (not all) of their performances become quite Shakespearean (you know, mushy affection, followed by plate smashing, screaming, hand wringing, hyperventilating, gun flailing, suicide attempts, etc.). The thing with that is: Tolstoy & Sofya's marriage was very 'can't live with, can't live without'. And they were celebrities of their time; always being filmed, always being photographed, & always had secretaries/journalists jotting down their every word & action. They were performers who thrived on knowing that people were interested in them. So yes, theatricality (& maybe some mood disorders) was at play.
The worst I can say about 'The Last Station' is that it doesn't go into too much psychological or philosophical depth. Every character is interesting. But there's an "it is what it is" type feeling to the film, overall. Helen Mirren is excellent as the concerned, impassioned, yet tormented Sofya. You know, she loved Tolstoy so much that she even copied War & Peace for him 6 times by hand! And we understand why she's so turbulent towards him with the recent buzz of a new Will leaving everything to Russia. I felt for her.
James McAvoy excels here as the shy, nervous Valentin. Without being proactive (Mirren & Plummer's roles are ripe), he's more reserved, & reactive. We see the movie through his eyes. Anne-Marie Duff (McAvoy's real life wife) is stellar as one of Tolstoy & Sofya's daughters. Paul Giamatti plays the dubious villain-with-a-noble-cause very well. Kerry Condon has great chemistry with McAvoy as his love interest. And as Tolstoy, Christopher Plummer plays the "old goat" role wonderfully. It's a quiet performance. But there's enough nuance for us to see his undying, but dissonant love for both his wife AND what he stood for philosophically. Overall, 'The Last Station' is a delightfully entertaining historical drama about love & madness. It gave me the chance to learn about Tolstoy, his background, & fascinating marriage. And it really could have made more of a splash this Oscar season.