4. Valentine Bulgakov - The Last Station
The Last Station, released in 2010 and directed by Michael Hoffman, focuses on the final months of writer Leo Tolstoys life, with Christopher Plummer playing the lead role, accompanied by Helen Mirren and - you guessed it - James McAvoy himself. Here McAvoy plays Tolsoys newly acquired secretary, who permeates between two sides of a copyright issue - that of Tolstoys wife (Helen Mirren) and his protégés. Some may notice the parallels that run between this McAvoy performance and another of his in The Last King of Scotland, specifically the early encounters with Leo Tolstoy and Idi Amin respectively. Initial hesitation and bewilderment highlight the character by providing nervous, idiosyncratic moments that also allow a lighter edge of humour to be introduced. Later, McAvoys character starts to become a vital cog as he begins of voices opinions confidently while maintaining the light heartedness from before. His performance is certainly one that benefits from being around esteemed company with the ever charming Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy providing a respectable report between the two. Some critics have argued that the introduction of McAvoy as the constant for the audience distracts from the main issues of the plot, with specific criticism focusing on the humour that McAvoy provides. I disagree, I feel his performance allows what could be dry, inaccessible material to be accessible, providing a character that the audience can connect and share his experiences. I also believe that the quality of acting ability demonstrated throughout the film allows McAvoy to reach a new, respectable level and one that allows him to stand out rather than fall flat.