The Last Station

Acclaimed Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy copes with the consequences of celebrity in this intriguing—if also somewhat melodramatic—film chronicling the final year of his life. Ensconced in his country estate, circa 1910, Count Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) has come to reject the concept of private property, much to the chagrin of his aristocratic wife of 48 years, Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), who has not only borne him 13 children but helped him with his work, dutifully copying War and Peace six times—by hand. Her nemesis is pompous, scheming Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), a zealous disciple who is urging Tolstoy to bequeath his literary estate to the Russian people instead of his family. Towards that end, Chertkov hires naïve, worshipful Valentin (James McAvoy) as a new assistant for Tolstoy, with duties that include spying on the household. Meanwhile, in a nearby commune, Tolstoy's followers perform farm labor while spreading his doctrine of pacifism, social equality, vegetarianism, and celibacy (living there, virginal Valentin will be seduced by hedonistic Masha, played by Kerry Condon). Eventually, after growing tired of Sofya's histrionics, Tolstoy boards a train for southern Russia, disembarking at the station at Astapovo, from which the title derives. Adapting Jay Parini's 1990 bestseller, versatile writer-director Michael Hoffman tackles universal themes such as love, greed, and sexual politics, with varying success, due to uneven scripting and pacing, but the naturalistic performances—with Oscar nominees Plummer exuding seductive, contradictory self-assurance, and Mirren displaying righteous outrage—ultimately win out. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include two audio commentaries (the first with costars Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren; the second with director Michael Hoffman), “A Tribute to Christopher Plummer” featurette (19 min.), deleted scenes (13 min.), “The Missed Station” outtakes (8 min.), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are a “movieIQ” trivia track and the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a solid extras package for this excellent Oscar-nominated film.] (S. Granger)