IMDb > "The Way We Live Now" (2001)

"The Way We Live Now" (2001) More at IMDbPro »TV mini-series

Photos (see all 9 | slideshow)

Oscar Nominations    Photos    more »

Overview

User Rating:
8.2/10   626 votes
Your Rating:
Saving vote...
Deleting vote...
/10   (delete | history)
Sorry, there was a problem
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Contact:
View company contact information for The Way We Live Now on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
Release Date:
11 November 2001 (UK) more
Genre:
Plot:
At the centre of the story is Augustus Melmotte (David Suchet), a European-born city financier, whose... more
Awards:
7 wins & 11 nominations more
NewsDesk:
Salute Your Shorts: The Way We Live Now
 (From PasteMagazine. 23 July 2009, 8:00 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
An engrossing adaption from the Eng Lit specialists more (21 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 31 of 36)
David Suchet ... Augustus Melmotte (4 episodes, 2001)

Matthew Macfadyen ... Sir Felix Carbury (4 episodes, 2001)
Paloma Baeza ... Hetta Carbury (4 episodes, 2001)
Cheryl Campbell ... Lady Carbury (4 episodes, 2001)

Shirley Henderson ... Marie Melmotte (4 episodes, 2001)
Douglas Hodge ... Roger Carbury (4 episodes, 2001)

Cillian Murphy ... Paul Montague (4 episodes, 2001)

Miranda Otto ... Mrs. Hurtle (4 episodes, 2001)
David Bradley ... Mr. Broune (4 episodes, 2001)
Tony Britton ... Lord Alfred Grendall (4 episodes, 2001)

Allan Corduner ... Croll (4 episodes, 2001)
Anne-Marie Duff ... Georgiana Longestaffe (4 episodes, 2001)
Oliver Ford Davies ... Mr. Longestaffe (4 episodes, 2001)

Maxine Peake ... Ruby Ruggles (4 episodes, 2001)
Helen Schlesinger ... Madame Melmotte (4 episodes, 2001)
Richard Cant ... Dolly Longestaffe (4 episodes, 2001)
Graham Crowden ... Marquis of Auld Reekie (4 episodes, 2001)
Tom Fahy ... Butler at Grosvenor Square (4 episodes, 2001)
Stuart McQuarrie ... Lord Nidderdale (4 episodes, 2001)
Angus Wright ... Miles Grendall (4 episodes, 2001)

Rob Brydon ... Mr. Alf (3 episodes, 2001)
Michele Dotrice ... Mrs. Pipkin (3 episodes, 2001)

Michael Riley ... Hamilton K. Fisker (3 episodes, 2001)
Jim Carter ... Mr. Brehgert (3 episodes, 2001)
Nicholas McGaughey ... John Crumb (3 episodes, 2001)
Sarah Niven ... Simpson (3 episodes, 2001)
Jon Rumney ... Herr Vossner (3 episodes, 2001)
Joanna David ... Lady Pomona Longestaffe (2 episodes, 2001)
Lilo Baur ... Didon (2 episodes, 2001)
Tony Pritchard ... Mr. Wakeham (2 episodes, 2001)
Fenella Woolgar ... Lady Julia Monogram (2 episodes, 2001)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
300 min
Country:
Language:
Sound Mix:
Certification:

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
27 out of 27 people found the following review useful.
An engrossing adaption from the Eng Lit specialists, 13 August 2002
Author: Philby-3 from Sydney, Australia

Another fine Sunday night filler from Andrew Davies and the BBC. Based on one of Anthony Trollope's later and less well known novels, this six -part story (300 minutes) covers the short but spectacular career in London of Augustus Melmott, financial fraudster extraordinaire. Melmott is a Victorian Robert Maxwell (the bouncing Czech), a promoter of huge ambitious business ventures with a flamboyant style that proves irresisitable even to the hard-nosed. Like Maxwell, he has a seat in the House of Commons. Some of the hard-nosed have their suspicions but go along for the ride anyway no doubt hoping to get something for themselves along the way.

Trollope weaves the strands of the plot adroitly using the Carbury family as the central characters. Lady Carbury (Cheryl Campbell) is the widow of a baronet (minor aristocracy) and without the means to live in the appropriate style. Her son Felix (Matthew McFadyen) is a total waster, putting any money he gets on the card table, and losing it. Lady C is trying to palm her rather priggish daughter Hetta (Paloma Baeza) off onto her nephew Roger (Douglas Hogg), also a prig, who has inherited the family estates. Roger is interested but Hetta is not, as she fancies Paul Montague (Cillian Murphy), a railway engineer and friend of Roger's. Murphy works for Melmott's company (the board is stacked with peers and baronets, including Felix). The Central American railway is supposed to be building a railroad from the central west of the US to Mexico. The railroad route has been surveyed, but funnily enough construction keeps on being delayed even though enough money has been raised to at least start it. Where's the money Melmott? Some is syphoned into his daughter Marie's trust fund. Marie (Shirley Henderson) is courted by Felix, who is very interested in the money, though not so interested in Marie.

To say more would spoil the story. The casting is splendid, except for Cillian Murphy as Paul whose pretty-boy looks are more appropriate for a Romeo than some who has been a civil engineer for some years and spent a lot of that time in the merciless Mexican sun. As his American mistress Mrs Hurtle, Miranda Otto, otherwise a capable actress, can't do the Deep South accent. It would have been better to re-write the part for an Australian. If it's any consolation, Meryl Streep can't do an Australian accent either – it comes out as cockney, as we saw in 'Evil Angels'.

The star performance is without a doubt David Suchet's as Melmott. Though a small man, he dominates every scene he is in, with his deep loud voice and grand manner. Critics are silenced by a mixture of flattery, bluff and sometimes threat. In the finish we almost like him, despite the chaos he causes. It is truly the role David Suchet was born to play, one utterly different from his small fussy Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Shirley Henderson as Marie also stands out in this company of very accomplished acting.

I haven't checked the novel, but there are one or two quite modern touches for which Trollope may have been responsible, such as Marie's (or was it Hetta's?) feminist speech towards the end. He may have got that from his mum, who had to support her family by novel-writing after her husband died, and did so quite successfully.

In the 1870s we had railways, in the 2000s we had dot coms. The vehicles change but we still have fear and greed as dominant players in the markets. The title 'The Way We Live Now' is just as apt today, as we see the Enron, Arthur Andersen, Worldcom crashes in the US, and HIH, FAI and One-tel in Australia. It is interesting that this 1875 novel, with no high literary pretensions, pulp fiction in fact, should be so relevant today. A engrossing film adaption from the Eng Lit specialists.

Was the above review useful to you?
more (21 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "The Way We Live Now" (2001)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Matthew MacFadyan Jenn25
The actors did a great job... but the rest aprilea
Squirkum BrandyW319
channeling the penguin billr1953
Music lilypeters2001
Cillian Murphy siberia82-1
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
"He Knew He Was Right" "Our Mutual Friend" "Middlemarch" "Wives and Daughters" "The Way We Live"
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Episode guide Full cast and crew Company credits
External reviews News articles IMDb TV section
IMDb Drama section IMDb UK section Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.

You may add a new episode for this TV series by clicking the 'add episode' button