The Last Station | Rotten Tomatoes

The Last Station

R

Released Dec 4, 2009

1 hr. 50 min.

Biography

History

Drama

List

71%

147 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1910, famed novelist Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) vehemently disagree over the rights to Tolstoy's literary legacy. Sofya believes her husband should bequeath them to her upon his death, while Tolstoy's chief disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), has nearly convinced the writer to sign the rights over to the Russian people. To this end, Chertkov inserts a spy into Tolstoy's household, who promptly falls for one of the novelist's daughters.

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Critics Consensus

Michael Hoffman's script doesn't quite live up to its famous subject, but this Tolstoy biopic benefits from a spellbinding tour de force performance by Helen Mirren.

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isla s

I enjoyed this film, as a somewhat laid back drama about the final year of Leo Tolstoy's life. I thought Helen Mirren's performance was quite good and James McAvoy also does well (with the main character played by Christopher Plummer). It's somewhat poignant and otherwise certainly thought-provoking at times. One line of dialogue, from an exasperated Chertkov, that made me smirk somewhat goes as follows:- "If I had a love like you, I'd have blown my brains out...or gone to America!". I enjoyed the settings and the showcasing of human vulnerabilities, the talk of love, frustration and intimacy. Confrontation also plays a key role in this film. Overall I would recommend this film, yes.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Helen Mirren and Christopher Plummer glamorized the relationship than reality.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

william d

I like historical dramas, particularly those that relate events I'm not familiar with. This one is pretty good. Helen Mirren is outstanding - she brilliantly walks the line between being psychotic and being sympathetic. While hers is the meatier role, Christopher Plummer does a great job as well.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

steve d

Powerful performances and a strong script lead to an extremely effective film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

jerry p

Completely distorted view of Tolstoy's ideas. Tolstoy in NO way endorsed hedonism. Read the Kreutzer Sonata. Husband murders wife from mistaken jealousy, when he eavesdrops to hear his wife and a male friend listen to Beethoven's passionate Kreutzer Sonata. Here Tolstoy would propose that the root causes for the deed were the "animal excesses" and "swinish connection" governing the relation between the sexes. Tolstoy lived as an ascetic and advocated abstinence from sex. (Nonetheless, he continued to have children with his wife until he was 60 YO, so not sure how much he put into practice.) He was a pacifist and greatly influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Didn't see precious little of his thinking in the movie, only a widened tolerance of worldliness. Fine acting and production. If you don't know or care to know about Tolstoy then it'd be entertaining in a fashion.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I had no expectations, only some interest, before watching this movie. The acting was absolutely superb! Not surprising, seeing as the likes of Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren and James McAvoy starr in it. It is also a brutally real movie about life and love: it's not always a walk in the park, not is it always easy. And the bigger your temperament, the less well you cope with things not going your way. I knew very little about Tolstoi and now I feel very educated. I deducted half a star because I am not convinced that the romance between James McAvoy's and Kerry Condon's characters was absolutely necessary, but it isn't awful. The soundtrack is also to be noted as one of the best I've ever heard! So all in all - a wonderful experience.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Michael Hoffman

Director

Helen Mirren

Sofya

Christopher Plummer

Tolstoy

Paul Giamatti

Chertkov

James McAvoy

Valentin

Anne-Marie Duff

Sasha

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Ed Koch

The Atlantic

With all of its faults, The Last Station will satisfy even those only slightly familiar with the works of Leo Tolstoy and the time in which he lived

Jan 13, 2018

Full Review

Evan Williams

The Australian

Despite all the bitterness and skulduggery, The Last Station is surprisingly warm and spirited in tone.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 2, 2010

Full Review

David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

In the end the film is quite moving, and the original home movie and newsreel footage we see over the end credits adds a potent touch to the drama we've already seen.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 1, 2010

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

A lavish costume drama about the final months in the life of Leo Tolstoy, The Last Station treats the author's end as a tragi-comedy, with the emphasis more on boisterous comedy than sombre tragedy.

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

The kind of film that commands you to visit your local arthouse theatre and watch true acting greats at work.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 13, 2020

Full Review

Felicia Feaster

Charleston City Paper

The Last Station is a film that lives and dies on its performances, and director Michael Hoffman has assembled an inspired cast.

Jan 23, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1910, famed novelist Leo Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) and his wife Sofya (Helen Mirren) vehemently disagree over the rights to Tolstoy's literary legacy. Sofya believes her husband should bequeath them to her upon his death, while Tolstoy's chief disciple, Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), has nearly convinced the writer to sign the rights over to the Russian people. To this end, Chertkov inserts a spy into Tolstoy's household, who promptly falls for one of the novelist's daughters.

Director: Michael Hoffman
Executive Producer: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Phil Robertson, Judy Tossell, Robert Little
Screenwriter: Michael Hoffman
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Egoli Tossell Film, Production Center of Andrei Konchalovsky, Zephyr Films, Sam Film GmbH - München
Rating: R (Nudity|A Scene of Sexuality)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 4, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 6, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.6M

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