The Last Station
Let's just say that The Last Station isn't really about Leo Tolstoy. At least not his teachings or his Tolstoyan movement. Most of the bits and details, such as his urging of celibacy and severe disdain for any form of government aren't really present. The Last Station presents the final year in the life of the controversial Russian writer and spiritual figure to many. To his wife, Sofya(Helen Mirren), he's just the old goat she married 50 years ago, but hardly the same man. As his viewpoint becomes increasingly radical, it's had a strain on their relationship, and it's become marred by petty bickering and shouting matches. Tolstoy, who has renounced all private property, wants his many famous works to become public domain, while Sofya wants them for her family's safekeeping. The situation is only exacerbated by the arrival of Valentin(James McAvoy), a fiercely loyal Tolstoyan convert who worships the ground Tolstoy walks on. This is really Valentin's story, as he discovers that there's a wide gulf between his image of Tolstoy and the flawed man he is in reality.
Christopher Plummer and Helen Mirren were both nominated for Oscars at this year's Academy Awards for their performances, and deservedly so. Both exude the fire and passion that surely must've lit up Leo and Sofya's early years together, but the film let's them down a little bit by devolving all too quickly into sharp piercing screaming fits...often times I was left wondering what the hell all the shouting was about. Eventually I grew tired of it and yearned to see more of the blossoming relationship between Valentin and the rebellious Masha(Kerry Condon).
Red Riding
There's something rotten at the core of the West Yorkshire police force. A vicious murderer, known as The Yorkshire Ripper has been murdering women with a bloody rampage. Yet nobody seems to be doing anything about it. At least nothing good. Red Riding is a deeply terrifying ride through the heart of darkness, but The Ripper is only on screen for about five minutes throughout all three films. His spectre, however, looms over every scene like cold fog. Broken down into three interconnecting stories chronicling a year in the killer's spree, this is at heart a story of deep rooted corruption. The initial film, 1974, follows a naive and altruistic reporter(Andrew Garfield) who's investigation into the disappearance and presumed murders of young women leads him into the crosshairs of evil forces within the polce force looking to stop him cold. 1980 follows a veteran cop(Paddy Considine) who's investigation into the Ripper killings is stonewalled due to corrupt elements within his own team. 1984 is perhaps the only one of the three films with a glimmer of hope, with the prospect of redemption within certain characters' grasps. It also happens to be the bloodiest story of them all.
Each film maintains the same characters(except for those who...don't quite make it), but so many years pass that we find them in different places each time. Some have grown a conscience during that time, but most are in a darker place and looking to cover for earlier sins.
Each installment is tackled by a different director, each of whom have vastly different styles on their own: James Marsh(Man on Wire
), Anand Tucker(Hilary and Jackie
, Leap Year
), and Julian Jarrold(Kinky Boots
). You wouldn't know it, as each has adopted a similar dark, muddy style, appropriate for a story as dirty as this one. To be fair, some will have a problem with the deep, English brogue. Lord knows I had to make some assumptions on what a few people were saying based off their body language, but it clears up by the 2nd film for the most part. By the third film you won't care about any of that, because you'll be dying to see who manages to crawl their way out of this cesspool.
), Anand Tucker(Hilary and Jackie, Leap Year), and Julian Jarrold(Kinky Boots). You wouldn't know it, as each has adopted a similar dark, muddy style, appropriate for a story as dirty as this one. To be fair, some will have a problem with the deep, English brogue. Lord knows I had to make some assumptions on what a few people were saying based off their body language, but it clears up by the 2nd film for the most part. By the third film you won't care about any of that, because you'll be dying to see who manages to crawl their way out of this cesspool.
Red Riding might not be in theaters any longer for most people, but it's available On Demand or on DVD.
