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Amazon.co.uk Review
First screened on BBC1 in 2001, The Way We Live Now will surprise those who know Anthony Trollope through the subtleties of his Barsetshire novels. This story of ambition centres around Augustus Melmotte, an Austrian Jewish financier who takes the London money markets and social scene by storm in his efforts to become an "English country gentleman". His rise and fall is followed with remorseless logic by Trollope, and David Yates' direction keeps this in focus against a wealth of sub-plots and character interaction.
The cast is a strong one, with David Suchet's Melmotte gripping in his recklessness, climaxing in the theatrical magnificence of his departure in disgrace from the House of Commons. Shirley Henderson is magnetic as his put-upon daughter Marie, courted by the cream of society bachelors for her dowry rather than her person. Cheryl Campbell gives a good account of the feckless Lady Carbury, writing vacuous novels to support her family, with Matthew MacFadyen relishing the part of her rakish son Felix. Paloma Baeza is sympathetic as her daughter Hetta, whose on-off relationship with entrepreneur Paul Montague, ably taken by Cillian Murphy, provides the main love interest. Douglas Hodge impresses as the loyal and sincere but insipid Roger Carbury.
The series consists of four generous episodes, each lasting 75 minutes. This is an absorbing production of what isn't the most subtle of Victorian novels, but which surely remains among the most relevant. --Richard Whitehouse
Synopsis
Set in the railway boom of the 1870s, The Way We Live Now captures the turmoil as the old order is swept aside by the brash new forces of business and finance. It contains all the elements that made Trollope the most popular novelist of his day - the trials and tribulations of young love, the enduring values of honourable men; but also the raw energy and excitement of the most powerful city the world had ever seen. It is packed with incident - elopement, scandal, suicide, fortunes made and lost, love lost and won.
It is filled with a range of characters that only Trollope could create - the towering figure of Augustus Melmotte, the great financier; Sir Felix Carbury, a young aristocrat so dissolute he would sell his own mother to pay his gambling debts; his cousin Roger, a man of integrity horrified at the way the world he knew is slipping away, in love with Felix's sister Hetta, the engineer Paul Montague; whose life is complicated by a rash engagement to a glamorous American; who, it is rumoured, once shot a man in Oregon and has now followed Paul to England to hold him to his promise...
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
37 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Anthony Trollope's tail of deception, greed and social climbing may be set in the 1800's but is as pertinent today as then. Augustus Mellmotte is a devil - complete with charm by the bucket, cunning and guile he arrives in London and sets about hosting stunning parties, forming limited companies and clawing his way into the best circles. The aristocracy may not approve of him - but they do approve of his apparant wealth and he has no shortage of backers when he announces his plans to build a railway in Mexico.
But Mellmotte is a fraudster of the highest order and those who look like unmasking him soon see the real man - cold, threatening, bullying. As Mellmotte sets his sights on Parliament his web of deceit begins to unravell and his house of cards looks set to crash down - taking many of the top British families who invested in him with it.
With lavish costumes and a flawless cast, this is a must-see DVD of a great book. If you enjoyed seeing David Suchet's recent portrayal of Robert Maxwell you may well believe that his performance as Mellmotte was instrumental in landing him that role!
But Mellmotte is a fraudster of the highest order and those who look like unmasking him soon see the real man - cold, threatening, bullying. As Mellmotte sets his sights on Parliament his web of deceit begins to unravell and his house of cards looks set to crash down - taking many of the top British families who invested in him with it.
With lavish costumes and a flawless cast, this is a must-see DVD of a great book. If you enjoyed seeing David Suchet's recent portrayal of Robert Maxwell you may well believe that his performance as Mellmotte was instrumental in landing him that role!
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This production seems to have attracted low ratings from those who have read the book - I haven't and coming to it with an open mind I think it is brilliant. I originally watched when it was first broadcast, and have just rented it from Amazon. I enjoyed it so much the second time that I've ordered a copy. One reviewer criticised the acting - were we watching the same thing? David Suchet, Matthew McFadyen & Shirley Henderson in particular are outstanding. Rather than portraying Marie as an imbecile (as one review suggests) I saw Marie as a young woman of great spirit and strong will. I've also been a fan of Matthew McFadyen since first seeing him in this. In addition there were some lovely touches of humour that had me laughing aloud. Well done to all involved. PS the extra feature on Trollope is also worth watching and explains some of the changes made from the book.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I don't understand the poor reviews. I've read the novel many times (it's one I'd take to my desert island), and yes, a lot has been left out, but the performances of David Suchet and Shirley Henderson alone make this a 5* in my opinion. Outstanding, both of them, and Matthew McFadyen was also excellent as Sir Felix.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Truly awful.
This is, simply put, an abomination. The book is arguably Trollope's masterpiece and is a story of white-collar corruption. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Cyberlibrarian
The way we live now.
Another BBC GEM. David Suchet is just amazing. He is the real villain of the piece. but one cannot help liking him.
Published 15 months ago by juliette
My goodness!
I am glad there are other 1 star reviews because I thought it might be just me. I found this awful. Bad acting above all and I wish I hadn't wasted my money.
Published 15 months ago by Louisa Maud
a touch of class
David Suchet and Mathew Macfadyen are superb in a delightful production. Perhaps the book is better but this makes for great TV. Read more
Published 15 months ago by D. Stephen Wilkinson
Anti-Semitism is Alive and Well in Trollope
Trollope's demonic figure of Melmotte pretty well sums up Victorian attitudes - Fagin with money. And then Suchet plays this mysterious figure from the Continent with a Cockney... Read more
Published 16 months ago by Mike Simonsen
Superb Production
A triumph of characterisation and casting, a gripping, insightful, charming slice of mid Victorian social aspiration and greed. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Titus
Intense and brilliant
This Trollope novel has been well adapted for TV drama. It is very intense and the characters are on the whole extremely self-serving, which makes them not very likeable as people,... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Textile Figure Artist
A Brilliant Chronicle for our time
Whether this dramatisation follows the plot of Trollope's novel closely or not it is a simply wonderful dramatic experience. Read more
Published on 28 April 2010 by Lynette Fox
The Way We Live Now
I loved this when I first saw it on the TV . I am very pleased to have the DVD now.
Published on 16 Feb 2010 by Judith Best
Suchet makes this a winner
Another of Trollope's novels given the BBC gold medal treatment, and Suchet was utterly believable in his role as the dodgy financier. Read more
Published on 2 Jan 2010 by S. Carr
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