The Last Station
We know the writings, but few of us know the man behind them, the pen that wrote some of the most beloved and respected books in the Canon of Humanity, among them, War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Unfortunately, the man was caught between two worlds late in life, his family and his Movement, the Tolstoyans. Michael Hoffman (Emperor’s Club, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) puts together a film worthy of Tolstoy’s epic status in human history, almost entirely due to the performances from his leading pair.
Rife with controversy, Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) lived out his last years in a tug-of-war between his wife (Helen Mirren) and his Movement. The former wanted his affection, while the latter, or their leader in any event (Paul Giamatti), wanted his estate. For his wife, the estate was a synecdoche of his love, the part that, in the end, would offer her many more years of living the life of luxury to which she had become so accustomed. When a young prodigy, Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), comes to live with the Tolstoys, he, too, is thrown into the middle of the storm that would ultimately send Tolstoy to his grave.
The Movement desires the estate, or more specifically the placement of his writings into the public domain, “for humanity.” As his wife, Sofya, says, however, “I’ve never met humanity.” The struggle for his favor is aptly summed up thus, and the film tells the story very well. A subplot emerges, the romance between Valentin and Masha, played by Kerry Condon (HBO series Rome), and it provides the story with a bit more tension, creating another struggle within Valentin. We see the story mostly through his eyes, and it engenders a war of conscience in the viewer, as well, as we argue within ourselves over the rightful placement of the Tolstoy estate.
Plummer and Mirren are a perfect pair, with a dynamic chemistry indicative of seasoned veterans as themselves, certainly worthy of recognition. McAvoy and Condon furnish another spark in the film, working together deftly. Giamatti is appropriate for the role of Vladimir Chertkov, the veritable leader of the Tolstoyans; however, I have personally always found him to come off a bit strong, like a stage actor who never learned to tone it down a notch, and most of this film is no different. Hoffman’s direction is adequate, mostly conventional, which allows the stars to shine. And shine they do.
At heart, this film succeeds for one reason and one reason only: the acting. Plummer and Mirren are a tour de force, bringing all the wisdom and honesty that, at times, only a lifetime of experience can truly provide. This is a good one, but it isn’t great. It seems to soften some of the blows, goes the humorous route in nearly every scene (even some heated ones, where it seems dually unnecessary and even inappropriate), and provides just enough romantic subplot to keep interested those who might otherwise check out during the opening credits. The acting is of utmost importance here, and it’s evident throughout the film. However, in the end, it is the acting that makes this film worth seeing.
Rating: 3/4 Stars
