Showtime’s A Gentleman in Moscow Is a Winning Vehicle for Ewan McGregor

There are few things worse than being stuck in a place for any amount of time, not to mention the rest of your life. An even worse fate is receiving a death sentence for a family background that you did not choose. Unfortunately for him, these are the options available to Count Alexander Rostov (Ewan McGregor), the titular “gentleman in Moscow” in early twentieth century Russia—a man unable to see the city, visit family or, indeed, go outside at all without fear of death.

As the politics of the country were shifting during that time, so too were the positions of prominent Russian families and their place in society. Following the Bolshevik revolution, no longer were “gentlemen” celebrated. Instead, they were pushed to the sidelines as the new ways of Stalin and his government took over. In the case of Count Alexander Rostov, his Royal family name served as an indictment, forcing him to serve a lifelong house arrest. The location of his imprisonment? The historic Hotel Metropol in Moscow. 

Based on the novel by Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow follows the decades-long story of Rostov as he navigates the cruel reality of living in this beautifully glamorous prison. A man of impeccable taste, he is forced to acclimate to his new attic “suite” and the bland routine that comes with it. Bland, that is, until he befriends a young girl, Nina (Alexa Goodall), who provides a much-needed distraction from the mundanities of his everyday living. Before long, this distraction becomes his whole life, as he becomes something of a surrogate father to the girl. 

An adaptation of the book was initially announced in 2018, with Shakespearan actor and director Kenneth Branagh producing and starring in the series as Rostov. By 2022, in a change that still hasn’t been fully explained, Ewan McGregor replaced Branagh both as producer and lead actor. I expect that Branagh’s performance would have been a variation on his recurring role of famed detective Hercule Poirot, with that character’s wild mustache and suitably dry humor. Indeed, Poirot and Rostov have a resemblance in disposition and appearance. But, as versatile an actor as Branagh is, it’s arguable that even he could not have brought the grace and sincerity that McGregor so naturally exudes in this role. 

In his first television role since 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, McGregor offers a masterclass in acting; he is consistently charming, warm, and eye-catching at all times. Some might find McGregor’s Rostov to be too twee or his cheerfulness false, but his charisma and hopefulness read authentic, which even the harshest of cynics would be forced to admit. The often bleak energy of the show is buoyed by McGregor’s winsome and earnest nature, providing a much-needed balance to the negativity surrounding him. (On another note, if viewers had a nickel for every time there’s a show where Ewan McGregor unexpectedly takes a young girl under his wing, they would only have two nickels—which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that it’s happened twice.)

A few key points in the story are told through flashbacks, though one could hardly even call them that. Rather, they are short, dream-like glimpses into Rostov’s past. Free of dialogue, they are mere flashes of images and sound, mostly revolving around Rostov’s sister Helena. Unfortunately, the specifics of these are not fully explored, at least not right away. The important details are revealed in dialogue in the present day setting to help fill in the gaps. Still, it might have been more effective (or at least helpful) to include entire flashback scenes, with dialogue to boot, in an effort to provide a clearer picture as to some of the trauma felt by Rostov and his good friend Mishka (Fehinti Balogun), who also shares a past with Helena. With the exposition as is, the audience is forced to do a lot of the heavy lifting, slowly making connections between characters. Though this may have worked well in the novel form, it becomes somewhat tedious here.