Rating: 
Summary: The way we live now (really, as in now)
Review: "Art imitates life" (I sure hope someone said that, or else it might not make sense), and good art might be able to prophetically leap from the 1870s in the 00s of the 21st century. Scarily, Anthony Trollope created a scathingly funny satire of his decade which fits life pretty well for 100+ years later. And on a more visual level, BBC Masterpiece Theater has done it again. "The Way We Live Now" is a ridiculously funny film. It's supposed to be a bit creepy, and it is. All the money grubbing and materialism and characters who really couldn't care less about anybody but themselves. They're a nasty bunch who are tastefully repulsive, then there are the noble ones who gain our respect. But despite our feelings Trollope painted them equally delicious and intriguing, and BBC carried them to the screen with grace and ease, and as usual made the actors look perfectly comfortable in the skin of the Gilded era. Great acting is the crux of this film, except for Miranda Otto's really bad Southern Belle accent, David Suchet, Matthew MacFadyen, Shirely Henderson, Cillian Murphy, and everyone else are wonderful and really play it. Then of course great dialogue and a wicked whirl through politics and money and intrigue which in reality merely serve as a device to satirize those who think they are better than the rest of humanity because of how they live. I didn't think I would enjoy a film about 19th century money problems which were eerily reminiscent of the current Enron scandal, but leave it to the BBC and Masterpiece to make you come back for more.
Rating:
Summary: As good as the book
Review: A well done production. Highly recommended. It's worth watching just for fun, even if you have never read the book!
Rating:
Summary: As good as the book
Review: A well done production. Highly recommended. It's worth watching just for fun, even if you have never read the book!
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant production!
Review: Everything about this BBC production was perfect. In particular, David Suchet shows that he can be much more than Poirot ;-). My wife and I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: This is the Best..It actually changed my life (i am serious!
Review: First of all, I am rarely a fan of shows with British accents, etc. But this mini-series is unbelivable. It has actually changed my life. I watched this series by accident but am very proud i did. THe way the characters are portrayed I was able to see very clearly how different type of people deal with the same situation. Now after watching it I am also looking at world with many lenses. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Long awaited and worth it
Review: Having first read this novel in the 70s and re-read it many times since, I half expected to be disappointed by the TV version until I saw David Suchet as Melmotte. He is magnificent and Shirley Henderson (Bridget Jones' friend in the movie) is also wonderfully cast. Trollope painted a panaorama of Victorian society, warts and all, and the novel upset a lot of people when it was first published as people did not like reading the truth. I found the series very true to the characters in the novel, though a good deal was necessarily left out, as the book is very long. Anyone expecting only Austenesque charm from a period drama will probably be disappointed, but those who like more meat should love this. Some reviewer mentioned similarities with Enron, but in fact the Melmotte story could have been an uncannily spooky premonition of the Maxwell scandal in Britain in the 80s.
The performances of David Suchet and Shirley Henderson alone make this a wonderful 'watch'.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent adaptation, excellent acting.
Review: I do not need to make any comparisons between novel and filmed version since I have not read the Trollope version. The series is wonderful and stands very well on its own. Maybe there are further nuances to be picked up by reading the novel but the series so satisfied me that I really don't feel the need (or have the time). These are fully fleshed out characters populating the Victorian London scene and the opportunities and risks inherent in being there and then. Some characters are utterly ruthless, such as the lead character, the financier. Others are still mired in the whole world of class, titles, gentlemen and ladies. They can barely make a move since that existence is like trying to make headway by walking in a bog or a swamp. Others are ambitious but not necessarily for titles and acceptance. They want to build railways and forge the future. The sympathy factor is greatest for those characters. This is all very engrossing and kept me front and center in front of the tv screen. The greatest conflict, however, is between the lead character/financier and his daughter. He makes many moves regarding his daughter that set into play the rest of the dramatic force of the entire piece. They are equally matched characters. Watching to see which of them will come out on top in their duel of wits is more than half of the fun of the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: Haven't Read Novel & Didn't Need It
Review: I do not need to make any comparisons between novel and filmed version since I have not read the Trollope version. The series is wonderful and stands very well on its own. Maybe there are further nuances to be picked up by reading the novel but the series so satisfied me that I really don't feel the need (or have the time). These are fully fleshed out characters populating the Victorian London scene and the opportunities and risks inherent in being there and then. Some characters are utterly ruthless, such as the lead character, the financier. Others are still mired in the whole world of class, titles, gentlemen and ladies. They can barely make a move since that existence is like trying to make headway by walking in a bog or a swamp. Others are ambitious but not necessarily for titles and acceptance. They want to build railways and forge the future. The sympathy factor is greatest for those characters. This is all very engrossing and kept me front and center in front of the tv screen. The greatest conflict, however, is between the lead character/financier and his daughter. He makes many moves regarding his daughter that set into play the rest of the dramatic force of the entire piece. They are equally matched characters. Watching to see which of them will come out on top in their duel of wits is more than half of the fun of the entire series.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I have been slowly working my way through the Trollope novels, and have not yet read The Way We Live Now. If the book is even remotely similar to this production, it must be fabulous. David Suchet is wonderful, but I must admit that Shirley Henderson playing his daughter Marie steals every scene she is in. The two of them playing off each other is some of the funniest work I have seen in a very long time (the scene in which Marie is in her father's study to steal money and does a brief impersonation of him had me laughing out loud). I am embarassed to admit that my first though upon hearing her speak was "It's Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter" (Ms. Henderson's speaking voice is somewhat unique), but that image is wiped from the viewers mind within minutes of her appearing on the screen. Because of this production, I can't wait to read the book version.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I have been slowly working my way through the Trollope novels, and have not yet read The Way We Live Now. If the book is even remotely similar to this production, it must be fabulous. David Suchet is wonderful, but I must admit that Shirley Henderson playing his daughter Marie steals every scene she is in. The two of them playing off each other is some of the funniest work I have seen in a very long time (the scene in which Marie is in her father's study to steal money and does a brief impersonation of him had me laughing out loud). I am embarassed to admit that my first though upon hearing her speak was "It's Moaning Myrtle from Harry Potter" (Ms. Henderson's speaking voice is somewhat unique), but that image is wiped from the viewers mind within minutes of her appearing on the screen. Because of this production, I can't wait to read the book version.
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