The Last Station

“The Last Station” is a movie co-written by Michael Hoffman and Jay Panini and directed by Mr. Hoffman. It stars Helen Mirren, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti and James McAvoy. This is an historical drama covering the last years in the life of Russian writer Leo Tolstoy and his struggle to balance his accumulated wealth with a self-proclaimed lifestyle free of material things. The film is filled with tremendous performances by Ms. Mirren and Mr. Plummer who totally enmesh themselves in their respective roles as Sofia and Leo Tolstoy. So, on paper and even having experienced this fine acting, it is a film that I really should have liked but, unfortunately, could not. I found it boring. The old sleep barometer crept up on me as I struggled to stay awake through the first half and follow the “action” (or non-action, as the case may be). As interesting as the life of Mr. and Mrs. Tolstoy may have been, the film falls short when evaluated as a pure entertainment vehicle. I give it 2 stars.