The Last Station
If you loved A Room with a View, Pride & Prejudice, and Atonement, then this period drama, beautifully played by Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren and James McAvoy in the lead roles, is one for you.
Based on a novel by Jay Parini, The Last Station portrays 82-year-old Leo Tolstoy through the last few months of his life, concluding with his public death at a remote railway station at Astapovo, in Russia, in 1910. The story follows the battle for both his soul and his legacy between his wife Sofya and Tolstoy’s zealous followers, spear-headed by the calculating & determined, Vladimir Chertkov. Chertkov sees himself as the guardian of the great man's reputation and wants the money from “War and Peace” to be used to advance the cause of universal love and passive resistance; themes that though often talked about, fail to manifest in the lives of his earnest followers. Their battles are observed and recorded by Tolstoy's new secretary, Valentin Bulgakov, played by James McAvoy who continues to make excellent choices as his career portfolio grows.
