The Last Stations tells the story of the last year of Leo Tolstoy’s life, based on the novel by Jay Parini. As someone who knew Tolstoy purely as a novelist, albeit a great one, this film provides an introduction to Tolstoy the philosopher and social theorist, but does so without becoming didactic or mired in theory.

The film is told from the perspective of Valentin (James McAvoy), who we meet as he takes up a coveted position as Tolstoy’s secretary. Valentin arrives glistening with idealism, awed in the presence of Tolstoy and determined to live his life strictly by Tolstoyan ideals. He soon finds himself distracted by the free-thinking Masha (Kerry Condon), and by the increasing conflict in the Tolstoy home. This comes to a head when Tolstoy leaves the house and his wife to live as a wandering ascetic but his ailing health means he only reaches the nearby Astapov station before succumbing to pneumonia.