The Last Station Movie Review (2008)
A restrained historical drama about the final years of Leo Tolstoy’s life and the tensions in his marriage, The Last Station offers lush production design and strong performances, even if the film itself never becomes particularly engaging.
One of the first movies I remember watching was The Sound Of Music. It was one of my mom’s favorites, so as a child, I watched it all the time. When my children were born, I followed in kind. My daughter actually went through a phase where she insisted on watching every day, just like another child might request Cars (that was my son!). So to say that Christopher Plummer has always been a present actor in my life is an understatement. He feels a little more like family.
The Last Station is about the last year of Leo Tolstoy’s life in 1910. Surrounded by dozens of Tolstoyans, who worship Tolstoy’s ideas as a religion, they are attempting to get him to sign over all of his works to the public domain, as personal property is frowned upon. In the meantime, his marriage with longtime love Sofya is strained, as the changing of his will would leave her with very little to support herself and their family after his death.
I was looking forward to this movie. It’s been on my watchlist for a while, and I thought I had chosen exactly the right time to watch it, but it just wasn’t as good as I’d been hoping for.
The story itself is fairly simple. This great man, who is reaching the end of his days, is adored by the masses who don’t really know him. They know his written work and philosophies inside and out, but even Tolstoy doesn’t fully agree with what he’s written. And his wife knows it.
The dynamic between Helen Mirren as Sofya and Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy is the best part of The Last Station. They are magnetically engaged with each other and having fun onscreen. Mirren’s Sofya is dramatic and over-the-top, with fainting spells and outbursts that make her every moment more enjoyable. Plummer has a less flashy role, but you look forward to this deep thinker whenever you can get him. The two bring an emotional complexity to an otherwise subdued narrative.
Visually, it is lovely. The costumes are gorgeous, as are the landscapes surrounding their country estate, where most of the film is set. It is all very old-fashioned and refined, with a feeling of elegance, even when the events aren’t quite as dignified. There is also some amazing archival footage in the film’s credits of the real Tolstoy before his death.
The biggest issue with this film is that it’s incredibly boring. I kept waiting for some sort of charm or larger narrative to make its way in, but that never happened. The performances are good, but it is very slow-paced and subdued. You never feel particularly interested in anyone but Mirren’s character (and sometimes Plummer’s), and, for me, it felt like I had an itch that never got scratched. I was disappointed. So, to be clear, my rating is for the actors, the visuals, and the story of the last days of Tolstoy’s life (which I was not familiar with), but that’s about all The Last Station has going for it.
Runtime: 112 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: R
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Probably not
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Available: To rent on Prime Video or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
