tMF | The Movie-Fanatic

James McAvoy was quite exceptional in The Last King of Scotland and it was his character who actually provided the perspective for the story and the movie itself. However, no Oscar nomination - not even for Best Supporting Actor. As Robbie Turner in Atonement, McAvoy "shows a sheer emotional range that's completely new to his career." says Derek Elley @Variety, "And McAvoy is a dynamo, nailing every nuance in a complex role." adds Peter Travers @Rolling Stone, and yet, still no Oscar - not even a nomination.

- - - - - -

Even before McAvoy appeared in these movies, he was already an accomplished actor -  Inside I'm Dancing, Starter for Ten, Bright Young Things. He was also the recipient of the first Orange Rising Star award, an addition to the established awards at the BAFTA.

Fast forward to the 2010 Oscar race, when Sony Pictures Classics announced it has acquired The Last Station for its North and South American distribution, the awards buzz has began. Will this mark the first time James McAvoy gets nominated for an Oscar? Or will this remain another unfortunate Oscar event for the acting career of our favorite Scottish actor?
- - -
About The Last Station: Made with the support of the Tolstoy family, the film tells the story of the last days of the famed Russian writer.

When a young intellectual (James McAvoy) arrives at the rural estate of Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) in 1910, he finds himself caught up in a power struggle between Tolstoy's wife, Countess Sofya (Helen Mirren), and the conniving leader of a Utopian society (Paul Giamatti) begun by the writer himself. They're fighting over how Tolstoy's literary estate will be handled after his death. [ read more ]

Moviegoers who enjoy historical films and the exploration of the lives of famous historical characters can very well imagine how fascinating it will be watching such a stellar cast bring to life these famous Russians. McAvoy, is of course, not Leo Tolstoy - he's playing the intellectual Valentin Bulgakov. Will this affect hether he'll be up for a Best Actor nom or just for a Best Supporting? I don't think it matters too much, as long as he gets the recognition he so deserves already.
- - -

Clips from the movie (via youtube): The official English trailer for The Last Station is not yet available as of this post. However, there is a clip and the trailer in German.

Some scenes featuring Helen Mirren and James McAvoy:

- - - - - -

The Trailer in German:

- - - - - -

The Critics and the Verdict: A few select reviews about The Last Station

The Hollywood Reporter's Stephen Farber was all raves:

The picture is far livelier than the standard literary biopic. Welcome bursts of rowdy humor and sensuality punctuate the intrigue. As Valentin begins a romance with a young woman living on Tolstoy's farm, the flush of first love is played as counterpoint to the harder realities of a long-term relationship. "Station" will be remembered as one of the most riveting cinematic portraits of what George Eliot called the "murder" of marriage. The actors bring all the pain and longing to the surface. Mirren can explode with anger at one moment and fall into desperate neediness the next. Because of her eloquent performance, even during Sofya's most operatic tirades, we always feel her abiding love for her husband. Plummer has been shamefully overlooked by Oscar voters during his four-decade film career. This might finally be the time for the Academy to make amends. He looks remarkably like the familiar photographs of the aging author, and he has the stature to play genius convincingly. But Plummer also captures the great man's frailties with self-deprecating humor. There is one moment when Tolstoy kneels on the ground to bid farewell to his beloved home that is a brilliant example of how much a great actor can convey through sheer physicality. Playing against these two giants, it's amazing that McAvoy holds his own. The opening scenes showing Valentin awestruck in the presence of his idol represent the height of high comedy. As he comes to recognize his hero's feet of clay, McAvoy's reactions deepen poignantly. This is the actor's best performance to date. [ read more ]

INDIEWire's Anne Thompson was also all praises:

The Last Station is a straight-on period biopic starring Christopher Plummer as the aged Leo Tolstoy, the famed Russian author of War and Peace, constantly at war with his mercurial wife Sophya (Helen Mirren). Paul Giamatti, a scheming Tolstoy disciple, wants to share the author's copyrights with the masses, while Sophya fights for her husband's love and her children's inheritance. Caught in the middle is Tolstoy's loyal, vegetarian, celibate secretary (James McAvoy). Plummer and Mirren are equally matched blazing adversaries and McAvoy is wonderfully reactive as the virginal acolyte who not only loses his innocence, but starts to learn about love and marriage. This German-financed $17-million movie is gorgeous-shot in the former East Germany-and utterly accessible and entertaining. The audience ate it up. This is one of those movies that's not so much a critic's picture as an adult crowd-pleaser. [ read more ]

While the focus of this article is James McAvoy's Oscar nom chances, both Plummer and Mirren were also mentioned as potential Oscar nominees.

- - -
The Last Word: Says James McAvoy on filming for The Last Station:

It was a fantastic job and just an amazing script. I've never seen anything like it in a film, something so Chekhovian. It's kind of high melodrama, but really high comedy - and really base comedy sometimes, people falling over and sneezing when they get nervous in squeaky shoes! But at the same time there's this high literary dialogue. So I'm excited about it, it should be good! [ read more ]

Academy members, obviously, will not be affected by articles criticizing and/or denouncing their decisions, nor will they bother to think back and ask themselves, perhaps they made the wrong choice. Of course, not all nominated movies are screened by every members. How could that be?

I could go on and on, but at the end of the day - James McAvoy and other actors who fell victim to the Oscar snubs may already be looking forward to their next roles and in time, may look back at the experience with a simple shrug of the shoulder.

- - -
What's on your mind? Are you planning to watch The Last Station? Are you fond of period films? What can you say about James McAvoy as an actor? Do you think he, at least, deserve an oscar nom for The Last King of Scotland and Atonement? Let us know what you think!
- - -