Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4841 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-10-02
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 300 minutes

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...

Customer Reviews

Suchet's Finest Performance Yet?
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!

Brilliant (if you haven't read the book?)
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.

Disappointed
Do not read the book before you watch the film. The novel is terrific, but because there had been so many changes made to the plot in this production I was left feeling very dissatisfied and let down. I am sure Anthony Trollope would have found his work unrecognisable in parts.