The Last Station (2009)

[Maurice]

THE LAST STATION (Germany/Russia/UK) dir. Michael Hoffman



Sunday Telegraph 'DVD of the Week'

Alan Stanbrook:



The last station is Astapovo, a nondescript Russian railway stop where Tolstoy died in flight from fame, his family and fawning hangers-on.



Writer-director Michael Hoffman has fashioned a graceful variant on Merchant Ivory that tackles whether Tolstoy's royalties should be left to the family that loved him or to the Russian people who revered him, as his acolytes wished.



Tolstoy, played with puckish charm by Christopher Plummer, is never romanticised. Profound though his works are, he'd been a scapegrace in youth. Great literature, the film acknowledges, is not always written by great men.



There's a cast of brilliant supporting performances, including Paul Giamatti as the head of Tolstoy's literary disciples and James McAvoy as his new secretary.



The star, however, is Helen Mirren. As Tolstoy's neurotic wife, aristocratic to the last and still beautiful in old age, she radiates command. Cross her at your peril.

[theuofc]

name='Maurice' date='21 June 2010 - 07:35 AM' timestamp='1277098530' post='442323']

THE LAST STATION (Germany/Russia/UK) dir. Michael Hoffman



Sunday Telegraph 'DVD of the Week'

Alan Stanbrook:.......

Mirren and Plummer. What a cast. What a Dame.

I had to see if there are specials on the disc. There are! I can't wait. Thanks, Maurice.





Special Features

Commentary with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren

Commentary with Director Michael Hoffman

The Missed Station Outakes

Deleted Scenes

A Tribute to Christopher Plummer



Here's a taste for encouragement to watch The Last Station:



[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCExyqZlsVg[/media]

[dpgmel]

name='theuofc' date='21 June 2010 - 07:10 AM' timestamp='1277100639' post='442325']

Mirren and Plummer. What a cast. What a Dame.

I had to see if there are specials on the disc. There are! I can't wait. Thanks, Maurice.





Special Features

Commentary with Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren

Commentary with Director Michael Hoffman

The Missed Station Outakes

Deleted Scenes

A Tribute to Christopher Plummer

Yes this one will ne on my lunchtime shopping agenda.