This true-story drama about Leo Tolstoy's final days boasts a fascinating premise and a fine cast, but ends up delivering less than the sum of its parts. Christopher Plummer looks great as the Russian writer, complete with peasant's garb and flowing, white beard. The sparks fly between him and Helen Mirren as Countess Sofya Tolstoy as they argue violently over the posthumous rights to his works. He's been convinced (by Paul Giamatti's scheming acolyte) to leave them to the people; she wants them for the family, full stop. Their scenes have the energy of a Russian Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, but are diluted by the recurring focus on James McAvoy's character. McAvoy may deliver another fine performance as secretary Valentin Bulgakov, but the role still doesn't manage to generate a great deal of interest. And while Michael Hoffman's direction is acceptable, it ultimately fails to pull the package together and lacks the inspiration his stars and his subject clearly have in spades.