Movie Talk!

We are happy to announce the return of a film discussion group we call "Movie Talk."

The Movie Talk title for this Monday, March 1st is: The Last Station. Discussion follows the 6:45 show.

The Last Station
Times: 12:50, 3:35, 6:45, 9:35
Nominated for 2 Academy Awards: including Best Actress (Helen Mirren) and Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer).
Written and directed by Michael Hoffman, the film recounts the drama of the final year in the life of the great Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy. It is a true story, both dramatic and humorous, that covers the themes of passion, love, family, greed, intrigue, conflict and revolution. The movie focuses on two contrasting love stories - the extraordinary relationship between Tolstoy and his wife of 48 years, the immensely impassioned Sofya, and the burgeoning love between Valentin, Tolstoys idealistic young private secretary, and Masha, a teacher equally committed to the writer's values. At the same time, the film shows that Sofya is engaged in a ferocious battle for her husband's soul. She believes that Tolstoy's wealth should be left to the family and is fighting tooth and nail against Chertkov, the zealous keeper of the Tolstoyan flame, who is adamant that the writer's fortune should be bequeathed to the Russian people. All these elements come together in a gripping climax as Tolstoy nears the end of his life at a remote little railway station in the Russian countryside. Filmed at stunning locations in the beautiful German countryside, the movie features an enormously accomplished cast led by Christopher Plummer (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus) as Tolstoy, Academy Award winner Helen Mirren (The Queen) as Sofya, James McAvoy (Atonement) as Tolstoy's private secretary Valentin, Paul Giamatti (Sideways), and Anne-Marie Duff (The Magdalene Sisters). 115 min.

Peg Aloi will be hosting this event on the first Monday of the month, immediately following the first evening show. Peg will introduce the film. Immediately following the show, an informal discussion will be held right next-door at the Ultraviolet Café.

Peg Aloi is a film critic and scholar whose reviews have appeared in the Boston Phoenix for over fifteen years. She was the staff film critic for Art New England for two years, and recently became the new reviewer for the Albany Times-Union's "Moviegoer" blog. She has introduced films at the Harvard Film Archive and the Brattle Cinema, and was a presenter for Boston's "Talk Cinema" series. She also teaches film and television studies at Emerson College and the Massachusetts College of Art. She is currently co-writing a book on cinema and the occult, forthcoming from I. B. Tauris.

Hope you can join us for this informative & entertaining series!