big NighT
The Last Station
UK / GERMANY / RUSSIA
After almost 50 years of marriage, the Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren)
Director: Michael Hoffman – devoted wife, passionate lover, muse, and secretary of Leo Tolstoy
Executive Producers: (Christopher Plummer), who has copied out War and Peace six times …
Andrei Konchalovski, Phil Robertson,
by hand! – suddenly finds her entire world turned upside down. In the
Judy Tossell, Robbie Little
name of piety, the great Russian novelist has renounced his noble title,
Screenwriter: Michael Hoffman
his property, and even his family in favor of poverty, vegetarianism,
Cinematographer: Sebastian Edschmi
and celibacy.
Editor: Patricia Rommel
So when Sofya discovers further that Tolstoy’s trusted disciple,
Cast: Helen Mirren,
Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) – whom she despises – may have secretly
Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti,
James McAvoy
convinced her husband to sign a new will, leaving the rights to his
iconic novels to the Russian people rather than his own family, she is
2009 / color / 112 min.
WANT TO KNOW
consumed by outrage. Using every bit of cunning she has, she fights
fiercely for what she believes is rightfully hers. The more extreme
MiChaEL hoFFMan
her behavior becomes, however, the more easily Chertkov is able to
Michael Hoffman’s first film, a short
persuade Tolstoy of the damage she will do to his glorious legacy. Into
where to focus during the Starz Denver Film Festival.
titled Privileged, starred a young Hugh
this minefield, meanwhile, wanders Tolstoy’s worshipful new assistant,
Grant. The one-time Rhodes Scholar at
the young, gullible Valentin (James McAvoy). In no time, he becomes
Boise State University went on to make
a pawn – first of the scheming Chertkov and then of the wounded,
such films as Promised Land (1987),
vengeful Sofya – as each plots to undermine the other’s gains.
nominated for the Grand Jury Prize
at Sundance, and Restoration (1996),
A tale of two romances, one beginning, one near its end, The Last
nominated for a Golden Bear at the
With so many films and events
Station is a richly complex, funny, and emotional story about the dif-
Berlin International Film Festival.
ficulty of living with love and the impossibility of living without it.
you’ll need two great guides —
Selected Filmography
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1999)
The Denver Post and denverpost.com.
One Fine Day (1996)
Sponsored by:
Soapdish (1991)
The Denver Post is proud to be a sponsor of the Starz Denver
Film Festival and a vital resource for festival attendees. Turn to
What do you want to know?
The Post, in print and online, every day during the festival for
recommendations from Denver Post film critic Lisa Kennedy,
needtoknow@
interviews and chats with visiting stars and scenes from the
red carpet, including online videos. Lisa Kennedy will also be
sending constant tweets from the festival—sign up today at
twitter.com/denverpost.com.
15
I want film fest prgm.indd 1 11/4/2009 11:28:17 AM
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