Review of The Last Station (2009) by Christine B — 07 Apr 2010

I must confess that I haven't read Tolstoy yet, but he is on my list. I didn't know anything about his life so this film was a joyful surprise that I simply enjoyed as movie entertainment although I'm sure it's a Hollywood version and not necessarily based on fact. It was wonderfully acted by Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy with excellent supporting roles by Anne-Marie Duff and Kerry Condon. The fight for Tolstoy's literary legacy and the heartbreaking conflict between him and his wife, Sofya, because of the Tolstoyan Chertkov coming between them is one that questions the truth about love.

James McAvoy's naive, sneezing secretary Valentin Bulgakov is at the heart of the film and it is as much his story as the Tolstoys. The Last Station has beauty, humour, frustration, anguish, genius, a touch of madness, and above all, love.