begob A crooked financier brings the youth of high society London under his spell, until they all discover they're not so innocent ...Brilliantly witty adaptation of a sophisticated, layered story. The screenplay picks out all the strengths, as the fortunes of three families intersect. Suchet gives a great performance as the ubermensch villainous Jew, backed up in every scene with a playful score and trollish food mastication.The period detail is immaculate, but the editing captures Trollope's humour and avoids any over earnest romance. It also feels modern, just like the novel, in pointing out the theater of London finance - so much show with little substance, and a grim outcome for those who take it seriously. Yet the final montage opens up all sorts of possibilities, and gives a sense of hope.The performances are excellent. Some complaints about the southern American accent, but it sounds good to me, and the actress nailed her opening scene with menace. Cillian Murphy does come across a bit flappy, so his immaturity as a young actor is the only real weakness.Score and sound effects are wonderful. And the writing, direction, editing are seamless.Overall: More than a period drama.

claudecat "The Way We Live Now", a BBC/WGBH co-production, is powerful, and features some fine acting and well-written scenes, as well as lush settings and costumes, but it's obvious even to those who haven't read Anthony Trollope's novel that the story has been "jacked up" for modern viewers. On its own terms, the mini-series mostly gripped my attention, but I wondered if sections had been cut from the American release, because some parts of the story seem to be missing. For example, two characters who like each other in Episode 3 have already become engaged and estranged at the beginning of Episode 4--the actual proposal having been skipped over. The decision to cut such important plot elements in favor of unnecessary but atmospheric scenes (such as a wander with some characters through the forest on a fruitless deer hunt) was strange to me, but some viewers may prefer it. The director heightens many scenes by adding unnaturally loud sound effects, which will strike some as artfully intense, and others as vulgar.As far as its faithfulness to the novel, director David Yates and screenwriter Andrew Davies appear to have followed a "simplify and exaggerate" policy, presumably to make the story and characters clearer and more likable to a modern audience. It was easy to guess that the young women in the miniseries are made feistier and more independent than they are in the 19th-century original, but I was surprised, upon reading the book, to find that Paul Montague (Cillian Murphy) is also much more diffident on the page than he is on screen. Some changes fit well into a modern worldview: the love of Roger Carbury for his cousin Hetta is, rightly by today's standards, characterized as patronizing and oppressive, though Trollope wouldn't see it that way. But strangely, the fascinating character of Mrs. Hurtle, who has some of the most interesting speeches in the book, is reduced to being a "Southern" temptress in Miranda Otto's odd performance (since Mrs. Hurtle is only connected with Kansas and San Francisco in the original, the choice to make her speak like Tallulah Bankhead playing Julia Sugarbaker is puzzling).Andrew Davies' screenplay has some fine moments, and certain scenes shine. However, he gives the story the same invented ending as he's given at least one other miniseries based on a 19th-century novel.All in all, recommended for fans of period drama--with qualifications.

selffamily I fell across the DVD of this purely accidentally when I was perusing the shelves in our little country library. What a masterpiece! Love Trollope, but haven't read this one yet, so that is a joy in store. I was glued to this - hardly found the energy to go to my day job - and was very rude to anyone who tried to interrupt me. David Suchet is a wonderful actor, as are many of the cast. So nice to see so many of the quality British actors who don't appear in every UK movie to emerge. The mangled accent of Mrs Hertle have been abused enough, let's just say she didn't quite make it. And the Miller won his lass! It was fascinating to see the issues and prejudices of the era handled and brought out into the open, and the ravings of the desperate Melmutte at the end could almost make you sorry for the monster that he was. Ably executed, horribly addictive, and a total pleasure.Since this review, I have read the book. What a disappointment the DVD is by comparison - obviously the book is nearly 800 pages, so one was expecting cuts, less characters etc, but why was Paul Montague sent to Mexico when he never went in the book, and Ruby Ruggles!! She never did THAT in the book either - and was living with her grandfather, not her father. I understand certain changes, but my argument with major changes is why use the book at all if you wish to write your own story? A great pity, because this is an excellent production which must have been aimed that those who would never read Trollope.

Julie-30 The book The Way We Live Now is arguably Trollope's masterpiece. The book is a brilliant story of white-collar corruption that Davies turns into a recitation of Sir Felix Carbury's sexual conquests. Trollope's Sir Felix is worse than a cad; he is a scoundrel. But Davies glosses over the terrible things he does to his mother, to his sister and to the other women around him and makes him appear to be nothing more than a misunderstood young man. The end of the book is not ambiguous, but the end of the series is.One other thing I hated, and this most likely has nothing to do with Andrew Davies. Miranda Otto was awful as Mrs. Hurtle. I cannot imagine anyone believing she is an American.What a waste of time. I want those hours of my life back.