andrewcappelletti Review of The Last Station

The Last Station (2009)

Timely and thought provoking entertainment

[10/10 · 18 December 2009]

If Helen wins another Oscar for this, it will be well deserved. Christopher Plummer, James McAvoy, and Ann-Marie Duff all give fine performances. Paul Giamatti shows us a side of him we have not previously seen. Pure villain. A villain fueled by ruthless passion for a noble cause. IMO Michael Hoffman has contributed to the world in an important way by making this movie and releasing it at this time in history. While Tolstoy's thoughts on private property were definitely out of the box and the precursors to the Bolshevik revolution therein equally as radical, these things all touched the nerve of the masses as a result of a society who's financial state was extremely out of balance. This director is finicky about the material he chooses. He could make pictures every year were he willing to jump on the Hollywood band wagon. He chooses his projects wisely. In this case, he wrote the script as well as directed so it's totally deserving of the DGA sanctioned "A Film by (MIchael Hoffman)" credit. And not only does he use his skills to teach. And he does so in a highly entertaining fashion. That is a rare, and much needed pursuit these days. A great little picture, entertaining as hell, and it leaves one thinking about such things in the light of today's global economical downturn.