The Book of Eli, starring Denzel Washington, Gary Oldman, and Mila Kunis, finally hits theaters this weekend, and centers on a wanderer fighting to protect a book that he believes can save mankind. Peter Jackson’s film, The Lovely Bones, will also hit theaters and even though its gotten mixed reviews, visually it’s a very interesting. Michael Hoffman‘s Leo Tolstoy biopic, The Last Station, starring Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, and Paul Giamatti, will make its debut in a limited amount of theaters and again this movie has received fairly mixed reviews, but has an amazing cast.

If you find yourself in or around New York, the indie flick Fish Tank should be playing. Apparently, the performances by the leads Katie Jarvis and Michael Fassbender, are both very good and worth your time. And for those of you in Los Angeles, the New Beverly Cinema has a film festival running from January 15th to the 21st. There are all sorts of films being shown, including Amadeus and City of the Walking Dead. Plus, director Stuart Gordon will be on hand to help kick off the festivities this Friday.

Check out all the movies that come out on January 15, 2010…

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Ready for a film with a bit of brains? The Last Station takes a peek at the joys and hardships of love in a Tolstoyian community and the hardships and insanity it takes to make something great. The film boosts one of the best casts that you could ever hope for and is surprisingly light and witty for something with so much depth and emotions. Find out what a bit of money and a whole lot of talent can bring to the big screen…

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There are actresses and then there are actresses. If you ask me Helen Mirren is a role model, an inspiration, and one damn fine actress who has proved time and time again that she is one of the greatest performers currently working. This was a bit of a fan-girl interview for me because, well she’s Helen Mirren and I’m an aspiring filmmaker/actress. She has had the career and worked on the type of films that I could only dream of, she’s extremely humble, well spoken, and charming, and to top it off she’s absolutely gorgeous.

In The Last Station it should come as no surprise that she gives a stunning performance, one of which I’m sure she’ll be receiving awards for in the future. Her character is completely over-dramatic, manipulative, and yet on some level we absolutely feel for her. Mirren is one of the few actresses out there who could tackle so many emotions at once and have them come off as completely natural. Although if you ask her, she did make a mistake in one scene (although I dare you to find it), which makes you realize why her career had flourished in the way that it has, she never stops growing and bettering her work.

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This week in theaters we have quite a cinematic treat. Michael Hoffman brings us a comedic drama about the last days of famous author Leo Tolstoy in The Last Station starring Christopher Plummer, Helen Mirren, James McAvoy, Kerry Condon, and Ann-Marie Duff. The film takes a peek at the joys and hardships of love in a Tolstoyian community and the hardships and insanity it takes to make something great.

Hoffman had quite the challenge in making this film. He had to go to a number of countries including Russia, Germany and others to find the funds, which all came at a creative price, including not always being able to speak the same language as the people he was working with. At the end of the day, a good German beer often helped solve many of the problems.

Find out how he got his vision to the big screen and the unique experiences he encountered (including one of the best stories about how a score cane to fruition) below…

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