Indie, Drama
4.5 stars
Very well done! This film is based on the last year of Tolstoy’s life with Christopher Plummer starring as the great writer, and Helen Mirren as his very emotional and passionate wife. James McAvoy (Atonement, Last King of Scotland) is hired as Tolstoy’s awestruck secretary and Paul Giamatti (Sideways) plays Tolstoy’s overzealous disciple. The focus of the story is of Giamatti trying to undermine Mirren by convincing Tolstoy to change his will to leave his fortune to the Russian People, rather than to his family. The disciples follow an interesting utopian lifestyle promoted by Tolstoy of celibacy, vegetarianism, and passiveness – sort of like a hippie commune – a lifestyle that Tolstoy himself felt he needn’t follow. There are a few laughs as several of the characters are quite frank and plainspoken (especially Mirren). Great movie.
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