"The Last Station"is a wonderful film that never really received the critical attention it deserved. It's about Tolstoy, yes, the same one who wrote "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", as an old man, (though in Christopher Plummer's brilliant and buoyant performance he's as sprightly as a young foal), caught in a battle of wills with his wife over the property they own and which he wants to give away and it's very funny in the way a good comedy should be, its humour stemming
directly from the plot, (it's full of references to the present day and
how celebrities are hounded by the paparazzi), and it's very subtle;
there are some scenes that may remind you of "The Cherry Orchard".
The director, Michael Hoffmann, keeps his own very fine script bouncing
along, (it's based on the novel by Jay Parini), and has drawn first-rate
performances from his cast. Plummer is, of course, wonderful as is
Helen Mirren as the frustrated countess, (she treats the comedy in the
material with the seriousness it deserves), and they were both nominated
for the Oscar but there's lovely work, too, from James McAvoy as the
wide-eyed innocent who became Tolstoy's secretary and especially from
Paul Giametti as the schemer determined to separate Mirren from her
inheritance. The luminous cinematography is by Sebastian Edschmid.
"The Last Station"is a wonderful film that never really received the critical attention it deserved. It's about Tolstoy, yes, the same one who wrote "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina", as an old man, (though in Christopher Plummer's brilliant and buoyant performance he's as sprightly as a young foal), caught in a battle of wills with his wife over the property they own and which he wants to give away and it's very funny in the way a good comedy should be, its humour stemming
directly from the plot, (it's full of references to the present day and
how celebrities are hounded by the paparazzi), and it's very subtle;
there are some scenes that may remind you of "The Cherry Orchard".
The director, Michael Hoffmann, keeps his own very fine script bouncing
along, (it's based on the novel by Jay Parini), and has drawn first-rate
performances from his cast. Plummer is, of course, wonderful as is
Helen Mirren as the frustrated countess, (she treats the comedy in the
material with the seriousness it deserves), and they were both nominated
for the Oscar but there's lovely work, too, from James McAvoy as the
wide-eyed innocent who became Tolstoy's secretary and especially from
Paul Giametti as the schemer determined to separate Mirren from her
inheritance. The luminous cinematography is by Sebastian Edschmid.
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