It's Just Movies

— by JASON EAKEN —

I’ve never been a fan of stuffy British movies. The Merchant-Ivory collection would be wasted on me. I don’t know what it is, it just seems like a slog. In the opening moments of the trailer for “The Last Station,” I felt that pang of stuffiness tightening around me. “Oh, this is just what I need,” I thought, “A two-hour bland-o-rama about Tolstoy.”

But what a pleasant surprise it turned out to be! The movie looks light and fun and very enjoyable! The cast is out of this world — Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Christopher Plummer, Paul Giamatti. What’s more is that they all seem to have a chance to show off their comedic abilities!

There has been some Oscar buzz around Mirren’s performance already, and I have to say this is now going to be something of a priority for me. Even the camera seems to be freer than usual, with more movement and spirit than I expected. There’s a romantic quality to it that will surely make the movie take on at least some seriousness, but I think I can put up with that.

Best line from the trailer: “You don’t need a husband, you need a Greek chorus!”

Follow Jason Eaken on Twitter at http://twitter.com/EAKEN.