The Last Station

The Last Station was released in Canada on January 22, 2010. The cast is just wonderful, comprised of Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McEvoy and Paul Giamatti.

The film is a historical piece, focusing on the late years of Leo Tolstoy. Looking beyond the written works of the Russian author, the film explores his family relationships, and his struggle to balance the philosophies apparent in his writing with his personal affluence and wealth. The film suggests that a closer view of Tolstoy may not be in perfect synchronicity with the ideologies promoted by his disciples.

Oscar awarded The Last Station with two nominations; Plummer has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor and Mirren for Best Actress. I've not yet completed viewing the category Plummer competes in, but his performance was very good. Lately he has been doing more voice work than acting, and this is his first Oscar nomination. Based on the three other contenders I have seen, he will not win. Then there is Helen Mirren. Wow! This is her fourth nomination, and she won previously for The Queen. She simply thrives in portraying real individuals. Truthfully, she is just brilliant here, but will not likely win. I will discuss my reasons in my blog about the category. He was not nominated, but James McEvoy was also great in his best performance since The Last King of Scotland.

This is a very interesting film, both humorous and reflective. While people are busy debating whether an Avatar should get an acting nomination, this is an opportunity to watch and see why not. You will enjoy The Last Station.