Tolstoy's life flickers in 'The Last Station'

The last months of author Leo Tolstoy's life have long held a fascination for biographers and historians. "The Last Station" is based on Jay Parini's 1990 novel, which told the story a la "Rashomon," with six different perspectives.

In the film, our viewpoint is Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), who Tolstoy friend Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) dispatches to the writer's estate to keep an eye on things and "write everything down." A close study of Tolstoy's work (he brags that he's read "War and Peace" countless times, but revises that to "twice" after a skeptical look), Bulgakov is a wide-eyed Tolstoyan - a virgin and a vegetarian who wants to "perfect my very soul." These pursuits of purity are shown to be folly in "The Last Station," which exalts the wonderful (and often entertaining) flaws of humanity - even those of deified artistic geniuses.

Oscar-nominated Christopher Plummer, sliding sturdily behind Tolstoy's beard, plays the aging author as constantly vacillating between charismatic focus and faraway distraction. He's full of doubt, even as his beliefs are hardening.

But he shows irascible flickers of life and a zest for its messy vulgarity. He recalls a love affair to Bulgakov. He dances at his wife Sofya's (Helen Mirren) dirty talk. With pride, he admits he's not much of a Tolstoyan, himself.

Our sympathies clearly reside with Sofya - she's a glorious and utterly human mess. To no one's surprise, Mirren - an Oscar nominee for best actress - throws herself fully into the role.

Director Michael Hoffman ("A Midsummer Night's Dream," "Soapdish") lets his camera gaze up through the tall birch trees (Germany subbing for Russia) and boosts the volume on crickets in the woods.

The message is clear, if you didn't get it from the rich acting: This is a film to celebrate nature and life.