The skillful supporting cast includes Anne-Marie Duff as the Tolstoys' daughter Sasha, who has bought Chertkov's bill of goods, Kerry Condon as Masha, the sexually forthright young communal who wins Valentin's heart and converts him to true "Tolstoyism," and John Sessions as Dr. Makovitsky, who both attends the count and, a devoted disciple, writes down everything he says, to the countess's eternal annoyance. "You all think he's Christ, don't you?" she demands during an al fresco lunch on the estate, and the literal-minded Makovitsky replies, without a trace of irony, that he knows Tolstoy isn't Christ because Christ is Christ, but Tolstoy certainly must be one of the prophets. The Last Station reminds you how thrilling intelligent filmmaking can be.
