The Lincoln Highway, Table for Two, and A Gentleman In Moscow were a few of the books written by Amor Towles. The latter became a huge bestseller, with 2 million copies sold and a long stay on the New York Times bestseller list. Set in 1922, it tells the story of Count Alexander Rostov who is stripped of his “status” and put under house arrest in the Metropol, an elegant hotel near the Kremlin. Living in an attic room, Rostov must adapt as the years go by and he begins to know different parts of the grand hotel from inside. It’s what he calls a grand adventure.
But Showtime’s limited series based on Towles’ novel — headlined by Ewan McGregor (Fargo, Halston, Obi-Wan Kenobi) — checks us in but never quite makes us feel at home. And maybe that’s my problem? More than any other book I’ve read this year, A Gentleman in Moscow made me feel all cozy inside. The Count adjusted to his less frilly but no less dignified new life with such panache! He got to explore so many emotional corners of existence! To consider its purpose!
And all that happens here. But despite being expertly produced and performed beyond reproach, something feels missing.
This is not to say executive producer/showrunner Ben Vanstone’s (The Last Kingdom, All Creatures Great and Small) adaptation is a total misfire — far from it. It is lavish; at times even gloriously witty and fun — thanks mostly to McGregor’s elan. There is plenty about which to be charmed here; while never plumbing deep enough into some of the “revelations” or “life lessons” with which Rostov apparently comes face-to-face during his time under house arrest at Metropol Hotel during Russian Revolution (which seems very convenient); this is still a perfectly enjoyable show. A curiously “lite” deep spectacle.
In the 2020s, there has been a tendency to produce streaming series that star A-listers who we know will keep us entertained over eight hours no matter what. Kate Winslet’s The Regime managed to pull it off, although — again — there’s an emptiness to it all. But McGregor is captivating throughout Gentleman in Moscow and reason enough to watch.
Our tale begins in 1921 during The Russian Revolution. The Count sits before a tribunal and waits for his fate; many other dignitaries were stripped of their status at this time, many were killed — Rostov might have been as well if not for a twist of fate (his name was on poem that inspired several revolutionaries… ah, the power of art!). He can live; but not in the lavish suite at Metropol. Placed under house arrest, he must live in the hotel itself… forever… apparently… which may not be such a bad thing during a revolution when you think about it because they’ve got good service and meals here.
And now the fun begins! We see Rostov adjust to life post-arrest. He finds himself with a newfound friend in a seemingly-parentless child named Nina (Alexa Goodall), which gives those first few episodes some pep and intrigue. Meanwhile, between occasional chilling visits from Russian official who sentenced him Osip Glebnikov (Johnny Harris), Rostov takes pleasure (mostly) in getting to know the staff; primarily Bishop (John Heffernan), who seeks advancement amidst country’s grave unrest…
There’s also the playful prospect of a potential romance with a fiery actress named Anna Urbanova (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, McGregor’s IRL partner). The two provide a nice jolt to the limited series in its early going, and as episodes unfold, we’re taken through Rostov’s years at the hotel while Russia adjusts to Joseph Stalin coming into power.
The show moves quickly from episode to episode, leaving behind meaningful “messages” at crucial points along Rostov’s journey: how one life can change another dramatically; savoring what we have while it lasts; making the best of our own fates. None of which is bad. It’s just not very deep because it so often skims the surface. Even when he wonders aloud whether his life has any worth left and whether it would be easier simply to end it all, the show never delves deeper into who Rostov was before he went mad.
This seems intentional; nothing about A Gentleman in Moscow — from its various characters to strange episodic events — is designed to lodge itself deeper within us or even throughout this limited series. People come and go in Rostov’s life rapidly, and we’re along for the ride. We don’t know everything there is to know about Mishka (Fehinti Balogun of The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself), a Bolshevik surviving by any means necessary as times change. Nina reappears years later, her life altered beyond recognition — but something doesn’t quite click between how it should feel emotionally and how much her character tells us has changed. Everything seems geared toward eliciting some kind of response or revelation from Rostov that will move things along.
Diehard fans of historical dramas — those who demand authenticity above all else — may need to look past some creative choices made by the limited series. Proper English dialect stands in for Russian accents/subtitles. Some casting might seem a bit “woke” for the period. Did Bolsheviks have dreadlocks? These all factor into the ultimate takeaway of the outing, which is that life is a mysterious, often fast-moving swirl of events populated by colorful characters.
Don’t think about it too hard. Enjoy the good parts. This cast is electric. And there’s Ewan McGregor giving a dynamite performance in an opulent production that wants to wow you more than make you think. That’s fine. But it’s also weird for a period piece set in early 20th century Russia to be arriving during such politically and socially fractured times, isn’t it?
