It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I didn't know anything about what this movie was about, only one or two of its stars, and I knew the critics gave it slightly low ratings, but I was prepared to give it a chance, directed by Michael Hoffman (One Fine Day). Basically set in the year 1910, the last year in the life famous Russian author Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time. Tolstoy was thought of as a saint or a prophet, with many followers known as "disciples", his most famous works are probably War and Peace, and Anna Karenina. The story sees Tolstoy's disciples, led by Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), trying to get control of his legacy and the copyright of his works, after he dies, from his wife Sofya (Dame Helen Mirren). The main setting is Tolstoy's country estate of Yasnaya Polyana, Tolstoy and his wife have had a long, passionate marriage, she mothered his fifteen children, but they are at odds with her more aristocratic and conventionally religious views. The manoeuvring of the copyrights is seen through the eyes of Tolstoy's new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), who is inbetween both sides, he also has a love affair with Masha (Kerry Condon), one of the Tolstoians. Ultimately, Tolstoy signs the new will and travels to an undisclosed location (the last station of the title), to continue his work undisturbed, after his departure, Sofya unsuccessfully attempts to commit suicide, trying to drown herself in the lake. During his journey, Tolstoy falls ill, it ends with his near death at the Astapovo train station, daughter Sasha (Anne-Marie Duff) allows her to see him moments before his death, it is revealed that five years later the Russian senate reverted the copyrights of Tolstoy's work to Sofya. Also starring John Sessions as Dushan, Patrick Kennedy as Sergeyenko and Tomas Spencer as Andrey. Plummer looks the part with the big white hair and beard, Mirren is interesting as his wife, it was perhaps a mistake to have McAvoy be more focused on rather than the sparks flying between Plummer and Mirren, the story lacked flair, but there were a few interesting moments, overall it was a slightly below average period biographical drama. Okay!

Rating-7/10The Last Station is a biopic of good proportions and delivers them thoroughly and dramatically to produce a film about Leo Tolstoy that isn't his point of view at all, if anything is criticises parts of his mentality. It isn't scared to show the fragility's of every person included in this film and just what it takes to push them over the limit. I particularly liked this movie also for it's moments of silent drama pieced with it's angry drama together which build up for a good drama, and that is exactly what I found it, a safely good drama.The story is slow yes but it has to be to that to show the drama unravel and who is treacherous and who is faithful for a good film that shows good drama. I enjoyed the more humorous side with James McAvoy portraying a character who although it is in no way a comedy but a drama that isn't afraid to not always be serious and produce a more light side that runs along side the darker tones too. Finally on the story it is a story that starts by being more happy than expected but by the end darker tones come in and not to ruin it but it is dark until the very last few scenes(well kind of).Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren(both nominated for Oscars) do superb and although Ii actually didn't feel this was Mirren's best, she still did a great job as the slightly damaged wife. Plummer I felt was great support for McAvoy as the main man Tolstoy, he excerpted his smart mind with a tad of crazy to bring in a portrayal that can dazzle. Supporting cast are all good, literally nearly all of them and the film gains on that point with a solid cast as I said. I finally will say that the acting deserves more praise as the characters are diverse and unpredictable, and so there skills are pushed to the limit, all of them.This is based on Jay Parini's book of the same name and the screenplay adaption by Michael Hoffman is a well unknown if it is a good on the book but in any cast the script is good and is of course adapted very well by the actors on screen. Hoffman is also director and proves to be a great one of that making this film nearly very good, but not quite. Finally on technical terms the locations are beautiful in Tolstoy's grounds and make for a drama yes, but it is beautiful to look at if you happened to not like the story.The film is not without criticism but not a lot so here is the only thing I found wrong with this, the film is incredibly slow and set in the most similar places scene for scene, now personally I found the drama in most scenes but I felt maybe some were wasted and boring, but also why my rating is not higher than what I gave it. I think some will not find these annoying and some will hate the entire film but in the end it is your opinion.I think those who enjoy straight drama will love this and if you enjoy films set in these kind of early 20th century settings then it is perfection for you, although maybe a more romantic film set in this time would be a better choice for you. Those who like big and loud films stay away, this is slow and also slow releasing drama that is for those who like it that way, but still worth a watch nonetheless.Overall I give it a 7/10 and it is Safely a Good film, it just escapes from being simply Pretty Good and I feel I could have rated it a bit higher, but also rated it lower. People will be mixed on how to rate it and although I do believe if you watch this you will like it, in the final end it comes right down to preference and what kind of film you enjoy watching. Finally also even if you don't like films like this, if you are an aspiring actor this film has prime example of how to be a good actor and really is worth taking notes on.

On paper, The Last Station (2009) seems like the perfect movie for the older, fussier set to enjoy. It features the amiable talents of former Von Trapp patriarch Christopher Plummer and The Queen (2006) herself Dame Helen Mirren, in a true to life story about the last days of Leo Tolstoy. To further bolster Last Station's Oscar-bait pedigree, it costars Paul Giamatti as Tolstoy-ian neophyte Vladimir Chertkov and also features Professor X himself James McAvoy playing the audience's perspective a likely composite of multiple people. If only things translated well from paper to celluloid. For like many period pieces, The Last Station suffers from being a beautiful canvas with no moving parts.Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) has been widely considered one of the best authors in the world, certainly among the best of the 19th century. By the time the movie begins, he had already written War and Peace, Anna Karenina, The Death of Ivan Ilyich and founded a utopian communal tenant farm in his boyhood home of Yasnaya Polyana. The leader of a new quasi-religious movement, Tolstoy's most outspoken critic is not Tsar Nicholas but his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) who is upset by plans to give away their fortune and the copyrights of his novels to "the people".As alluded to earlier, the plot is largely taken from the point of view of James McAvoy's character; a Tolstoy-ian with enormous respect for the aging author, scholar and theologian. His sympathies ping-pong between Tolstoy and his wife who still loves him but cannot get over the ideals he propagates but struggles to live up to. He struggles to see her perspective while she fails to take into account the changing times and a radicalized serf class that loathes nobility. It's all very complex emotionally, politically and philosophically.At least it likely was in real life. In the film however, all the characters, subplots and attempts to frame things in a larger context are color coded and ranked for your convenience. Instead of giving his audience the benefit of free thought director Michael Hoffman insults the intelligence of his audience by making good characters speak in profound statements while villains dwell in cynicism and pomposity. The music swells when it should and our McAvatar wonders down hallways and fields where only narrow perspective can be applied. In The Last Station, it's impossible to truly sympathize or form an independent mindset of any character because all is seen through a non-objective perspective.Now I'm not saying narrowly tailored movies are intrinsically bad. Most don't come from a place of omnipotence but enjoy subjectivity through the mind of a specific character, in this case Valentin. But his character arc is so bland as to make everything around it seem pedestrian. Patton (1970) and Malcolm X (1992) were biased in their treatment of the WWII era and the Civil Rights Movement respectively; yet the trials and tribulations of the central characters made for good drama. The fact that both films had strong social and political perspectives was almost beside the point.The story of Tolstoy and Sofya is a tale worth telling and has been told before in films like Lev Tolstoy (1985) and Departure of a Grand Old Man (1912). Yet the movie isn't told from either person's perspective yet places itself clearly in Sofya's camp. As a result, the film has layers of Hallmark Channel sentimentality. As Sofya's plight becomes more immediate, the film devolves into a movie about a woman fighting for her rights in a divorce before divorce was a thing.The Last Station was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Actress for Helen Mirren and Best Supporting Actor for Christopher Plummer. In both cases their considerable talents were overshadowed by other admittedly better performances; Sandra Bullock in The Blind Side (2010) and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds (2010). I say considerable because their performances alone made The Last Station slightly more than a mediocre historical biography. Yet despite this, The Last Station will ultimately be remembered for giving Christopher Plummer his first Oscar nomination in a 54-year screen acting career. He would go on to become the oldest winner of a competitive Oscar only two years later for Beginners (2012). So I guess in his case this Oscar-bait flick helped him out.http://www.theyservepopcorninhell.blogspot.com/

An adaptation of a biographical 'novel' inspired by Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy's (September 9, 1828 – November 20, 1910) final months, and therefore some scenes and dialogs a tad over-dramatized. But it does no harm, as biographical and historical events are depicted accurately. Beautifully filmed, capturing the lights and atmosphere of 1910s Russian country side south of Moscow; costumes and props impeccable. We learn about the power-struggle between Tolstoy's editor and wife and how the great writer couldn't make up his mind to whom he will leave his legacy and the copyright of his works. Paul Giamatti portrays an excellent hypocritical, opportunist and self-interested Vladimir Chertkov and Christopher Plummer a very believable Tolstoy indeed. Even though James McAvoy as Valentin Bulgakov, Tolstoy's very young last secretary, is a very gifted and touching young actor, I thought the subplot did not fully catch on, but I blame it on the directing. But the entire movie is a magnificent vehicle for Hellen Mirren's immaculate acting talents as Sofya, Tolstoy's wife! BRAVO, she did deserve her awards. I empathized, loved and suffered with her through the entire movie.Despite a tiny, but tastefully filmed, sex-scene, the movie is watchable for the interested Teenager. Even if you don't know much about Tolstoy, but you are into brilliantly acted period-drama, this is a very good movie.p.s. In reality, Countess Sofya bore Tolstoy 13 children and copied out six drafts of his novel "War and Peace" - by hand!!!!!!