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Really Surprised!

Powerful

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Wow, I loved The Last Station (2009) which I plucked off the shelf at my library. This was a real gem of a movie in all phases.The story is terrific, much more interesting than I thought. Tolstoy (Christoper Plummer) was the world-famous author of War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In fact, he was a Count in Russia, treated like royalty. But his writings and the Tolstoyan movement preached abstinence of possessions and sex, and that all people should be treated equally.The problem is that Tolstoy, as he admitted multiple times in the movie, was not a very devout Tolstoyan himself, having fathered 13 children while living in a luxurious castle with every human pleasure he wanted. Moreso than for him, his wife Sofya, the Countess (Helen Mirren), likes the possessions they have earned, and knows all about Tolstoy's real history, since they'd been together almost 50 years.Enter a few other characters like Valentin (James McAvoy) as his young, exuberant, celibate Secretary, Masha (Ann Marie Duff)a rebellious Tolstoyan living in the community, and mostly Cherkov (Paul Giamatti), kind of like Tolstoy's consigliere from the Godfather films, who is driving the expansion and business side of Tolstoy's movement.The major thrust of the story is the constant conflict between the triangle of Tolstoy vs Sofya his wife, who is fighting against Chertkov, who tries to get Valentin involved as his "spy" of the inner Tolstoy circle. The push and pull, back and forth, from beginning to end is constant, and annoying. I found myself screaming at them to just let it go and stop whining like little spoiled brats, but I guess they could not.Great story, but the real gem is the acting. Christoper Plummer is world famous and he delivers a Tolstoy who is honest, cynical, driven, and yes loving. He loves Sofya very much. Helen Mirren is absolutely over the top fantastic as Countess Sofya, delivering all the right emotions of knowing the real Tolstoy, expressing unbridled emotion at times in so many ways. It made me wonder whether the real Countess has some bipolar disease, or whether she just did not want to see people act as vultures around her aging husband, picking apart his will and his belongings to their own profit.What I really like about this film is that they all spoke straight English. No one pretended to put on Russian accents. There were no scenes with sub-titled Russian. Simple. Sure the costumes were culturally correct, as was the setting. Apart from one scene where Mirren held up a paper with Russian characters, the Director stayed away from this distraction.The Director, Michael Hoffman, is not that experienced or well known. However, he also wrote the screenplay, so he obviously knew the story and what he wanted to achieve. He basically let this talented group live the story, and guided it to a well-oiled finale.The one area that was so-so was the cinematography, which was nothing special because most of the scenes took place in two areas - the Tolstoy castle home and the village community, with some fleeting scenes in Moscow.Overall,the Last Station is a terrific movie, with an interesting story, and phenomenal performances by Mirren and Plummer. This one should be on your must-see list. Don't miss this stop - Enjoy.

Much of the criticism I have been reading about 'The Last Station' is specious, and I felt compelled to write this article because I believe that most of the negative reaction might be eliminated if the film were more adequately illuminated.You don't have to love (or even know anything about) Tolstoy to enjoy this film. You do, however, have to have a taste for love, because this movie is a wonderfully full (if occasionally saccharine) tour de force of love- in fact, the director informs the audience so, right away, in the opening quote. So the viewer ought to approach this work with the mindset that the story is about the love that occurs to various degrees with each of the different characters.It would be a grave mistake to believe that, since this is a film about Tolstoy, the film itself echoes some of the characteristics of Tolstoy's work. In fact, it echoes practically none of Tolstoy's work. I do not, however, find fault in this, and any movie-goer who is expecting to experience War and Peace ought to just go read War and Peace because War and Peace's literary excellence is just that: literary. To find fault in The Last Station because it does not address the problem of the Russian Aristocracy's exorbitant habits, and their relationship to the struggling peasant class, is like condemning the movie for not discovering who was responsible for the murder on the Orient Express, or insufficiently detailing the party life of Holly Golightly- that is to say, the two are entirely unrelated.Although the content of the story concerns the aging Leo Tolstoy and his wife, Sofya, the protagonist of the movie is Valentin Bulgakov (played by James McAvoy), and so, the principle conflict is, in fact, about his personal devotion to the Tolsotyian doctrines, and how his personal goals and values change as a result of his employment under Tolstoy. So, any stigma attached to Tolstoy comes directly from Bulgakov's personal devotion to Tolstoy the Diety, and this dynamic is the only thing which plays on any viewers' preconceived notions of Tolstoy.The story is not really about Tolstoy, per se, but is instead about Bulgakov's navigating between the celibacy and strictness of the Tolstoy Dogma, (as embodied through Chertkov, portrayed by Paul Giammati) and the passionate and sometimes inexplicable nature of human interactions (as embodied through Sofya, portrayed by Helen Mirren in an incredible, forget-where-you-are performance). So, take heart, the viewer is not taken on a journey with Tolsoty where-in we aim to discover how to solve the enormous question of the class conflict in Russia. Instead, the question is: how has Bulgakov's first hand experience of Tolstoy, Sofya, Chertkov, and Telyatinki in general, affected his beliefs, and will those beliefs confirm his position as a disciplined Tolstoyian, or will they facilitate his rejection of the doctrine? So, you see, criticism about Sofya's "weird behavior", or about the lack of Tolstoyian erudition really comes down to a misunderstanding. The Tolstoyian scholastic plays a frivolous and superficial role, and does so intentionally. The film is not actually about Tolstoy, or his works, and we need only process the interactions that occur, and the characters for that matter, through Bulgakov's experience and frame of mind.When the viewer understands this, I think they will understand why the film is so delightful.

It is classic. It is brilliant. I like it so much. It is slow, but each moment is enjoyable. I haven't seen anything of that level for some time. Actors are absolutely , astonishingly great.It is slow, it is not an action movie, but it is a masterpiece. It is a bit like Tolstoy's things themselves. 10 out of 10. Made me to register with IMDb. The other thing.Usually an interpretation of Russian literature, culture and living in western movies is a bit odd, even in old, commonly accepted classic movies, or in the best modern ones, like Enemy at the gate. This one is very authentic. It is the best movie about Tolstoy ever. That is including Russian movies.

"The Last Station" is a historical drama that illustrates Russian author Leo Tolstoy's struggle to balance fame and wealth with his commitment to a life devoid of material things. Given a limited release, this movie never received the accolades it deserved.Cast wise, a hub of talent at work. Christopher Plummer depicts the titular character with such devotion and authority that a picture of Leo Tolstoy stay etched in our mind just as depicted on screen. Helen Mirren is the true igniter of this movie with her splendid performance as Tolstoy's wife whose conflicts with her husband over the impact of Tolstoy's philosophy on their family possession is brilliantly showcased by Mirren. James McAvoy is absolutely charming in his role of Tolstoy's assistant. Also competent is Paul Giamatti, a devoted scholar of Tolstoy's teachings."The Last Station" strength lies in every aspect of its production. The perfect Casting, subtle Storyline, appropriate Running Time, amazing Direction and Screenplay etc are top-drawer. It's arduous to find something too regrettable about the movie to be mentioned.Overall, "The Last Station" is a wonderful depiction of the most celebrated Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy. To watch great talents at their best is an experience, but coupling the above with an insight into a great personality is a blessing.My Verdict: 8/10