THE LAST STATION (Germany/Russia/UK 2009) ***1/2
Directed by Michael Hoffman

Though touted as a historical period piece, Michael Hoffman (RESTORATION, A MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT DREAM) plays more like a dysfunctional family drama. 

The family are the Tolstoys.  The Count Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer), as the credits boldly claim at the film’s start is the world’s foremost famous writer of all time.  Set in 1910 Russia, the story centers on the last year of the life of Leo Tolstoy.  At this time, his wife of 48 years who bore him 32 children, Sofya (Helen Mirren) is growing mad.  Reason is that her husband is making a new will to give his estate and literary work to the people thus leaving her out.  The conspirator in all this is an obsessed disciple Chertkov (Paul Giamatti).

The film is told from the point of view of the new personal assistant Chertkov has hired for Leo.  A Toylstoyan himself, the young Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy) has his beliefs challenged when both tempted by the flesh, in the form of Masha (Kerry Condon) and by letting his feelings swayed by sympathising with Sofya.  The story is given a solid base and the film’s narrative is strong primarily for this reason.

Writer/director Hoffman, no stranger to period and costume pieces creates an effective mood and atmosphere of the Russian commune.  The film was shot in Germany, which stands in for such Russian locales as the Tolstoyan headquarters in Moscow, the Tolstoy estate in Yasnaya Polyana and the Tolstoyan commune in Telyatinki.

But it is the performances that lift the film above the material.  Oscar winner Mirren takes on a more complicated role than usual as that of madwoman, feisty loving wife and helpless pawn to the movement.  Mirren creates a sympathetic character, no easy feat considering how crazy and annoying her character is.  McAvoy delivers a solid performance much like his role in ATONEMENT where vulnerability erodes his initial strengths.  But the best performance belongs to Anne-Marie Duff who gives so much to her underwritten role as the daughter who initially betrays her mother.  Wonder if anyone else remembers her in THE MAGDALENE SISTERS.

Adapted from Jay Parini’s best-selling novel, the film never loses his authenticity as the descendants of Tolstoy acted as advisors throughout the production.  THE LAST STATION is an entertaining historical piece that audiences can still fell for.