Review of The Last Station (2009) by Giuly A — 23 Jun 2010

A delightful, literate film about Tolstoy's final days. There's a power struggle between his wife (Helen Mirren chewing up the sets) and his disciple (Paul Giamatti) for his inheritance and soul. James McAvoy is supposed to be a witness but acts more like a puppy changing alliances. There's also a subplot about his affair with a Tolstoy fan (Kerry Condon, who's very good).

This is quite a good group of actors but there's plenty of overacting by Mirren and Giamatti. What makes the film good is the intelligent screenplay and the theme of what's at the soul of a writer. Does his work belong to the people or his family? McAvoy's role is underwritten and he's upstaged by Condon in their scenes together. The art design, costumes, and direction are excellent. Hoffman directs with a good eye for the essential details in this drama.

I may be too generous with a five-star review but my rating reflects how hungry I am to be entertained by an intelligent film. My one complaint is that Mirren and Plummer are the main actors in this drama so why was she nominated for Best Actress while Plummer received his nod for Best Supporting Actor. Plummer's the main actor and I think this is his best role to date.