"The Last Station" (2009) - REVIEW

It seems strange that a film such as The Last Station has received such a small, late release, even by indie/low budget standards. Opened only in a qualifying run in 2009, it is only now expanding to other major cities, and there's something about that which seems wrong. Michael Hoffman's small film about the last days of Tolstoy, though limited in scope and lacking depth in several areas, is a lovely, well-acted film that deserves to be seen.

Opening with a quote from "War and Peace" and some information about the time, the film wastes no time in setting up its premise. Valentin (James McAvoy), a young Tolstoyan, is recruited by Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) to keep watch over Tolstoy, because of the supposed "risk" created by the presence of Tolstoy's wife Sofya (Helen Mirren), who wholly disagrees with her husband's ideas about property and religion. From the get go, Hoffman's film, which he also wrote, is nice and brisk, never turning into a dull, dragging period piece. Some of it comes at the expense of the story: McAvoy, possibly more of a lead than either of his Oscar-nominated co-stars, has a character with absolutely no detailing. He's a young Tolstoyan, he sneezes when he's anxious, and he's a virgin. That's everything. Still, McAvoy is a more than capable actor and makes the depthless role still work, as does Kerry Condon as his love interest, despite limited screen time. Plummer, who earned his first-ever (you read that correctly) for this film, is strong as Tolstoy, though the role is more in the supporting arena. The real star here, as the buzz has indicated from the start, is Mirren as Sofya. Chewing the scenery in the best sense of the phrase, Mirren is dynamic and a joy to watch, full of life as she laughs, cries, yells, and wails. Even when she isn't expressing herself in pitch-perfect hysterics, but never sacrificing subtlety (what little is afforded to her in the role).

While the characters gel together beautifully, the screenplay, crisp as it is, does have its bumps, which thankfully become noticeable only upon thought, and not is obvious ways. The issue of religious differences between Sofya and Tolstoy is generally avoided, and then shoe-horned in as Tolstoy falls into ill health; it is due to the strength of the actors alone that these characters stick. Bits of humor, more so at the beginning, mostly don't connect well, though they are never distracting. Yet the screenplay, problematic and shallow as it can be, is well performed, well shot, and well edited. On the production front, the film is lovely to look at. Costumes are quite nice, and capture the period and culture, and there are a handful of lovely shots. The real stand-out here is Sergei Yevtushenko's lovely score, filled with lush arrangements both light and emotional, even if it is a bit sentimental near the final scenes. Even so, it adds to the film greatly. This isn't the Tolstoy film for the ages, but it is a well-acted, handsome production led by a superlative Mirren; a minor pleasure, but a pleasure all the same.

Grade: B/B-