The Way We Live Now
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Movie Reviews of The Way We Live Now
Movie Review: Those who speculate risk winning....or losing it all
Summary: 4 Stars
David Suchet is a dastardly swindler with magnetic voice and convincing speeches... he will draw you into this film and keeps you there. This delightful film is rife with humor and a little bit of romance, while never straying from the premise of what social climbers will do to themselves and each other.
You will love to hate some of the characters and find yourself wondering if they get what they deserved. All the aristocrats have intertwining storylines - you find yourself laughing and judging; engrossed in their antics and troubles. Everyone wants to BELIEVE something.... Believe they are justified in their actions, or believe in the "Mexican Railway scheme", or believe that they CAN marry for love over money...... who will be crushed by reality and who will overcome?
The costume is wonderful and the actors are excellent. However, I would have given the film 5 stars if it were not for Miranda Otto's forced "southern belle" accent. But do not let that deter you from this excellent production! It is a wonderful film with equally amusing and dark moments - Those involved rationalize the changing of the times as 'the way we live now.'
Movie Review: See the Film/Read the Book!
Summary: 4 Stars
These seemingly endless period dramas churned out by the BBC and others are valuable in that they can be viewed as a kind of visual "Cliff's Notes" for us busy folk who can't find the time to read the original novels. Bottom line is this: you should read the book no matter what, especially if it's by Anthony Trollope, one of English literature's most consistently great writers. If you watch the movie first, you MAY be interested enough in the story and characters to read the book later. In fact, I'd say that is good criteria for judging the quality of one of these period movies: if, after viewing the film, you are stimulated enough to rush out and read the book, then the film must be good--providing it's a faithful adaptation.
This one is. It's a six-hour presentation, but even that is not really long enough to accurately deliver the full impact of Trollope's masterpiece. The young couple who end up together are the most likable characters; the rest, with the exception of the spurned Jewish banker, are all vain, pompous, avaricious and spiteful. They are cynical caricatures, if you will, but that was Trollope's intent as a satirist.
Movie Review: Just About Perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
A great way to spend a rainy weekend. Acting, costumes and sets are superb, but it is all built on a nearly perfect script fleshed out of a novel that was just as great now as it was in it's day.
Veiwers of the northern U.S. climes may not "get it", but ignore the tomato throwing toward Mrs. Hurdle's accent. It was dead on. If you've ever spent time in the deep, antebellum south, you'll still hear the older women talk much like this. I imagine that the actress did her research and the time period would have resulted in an even deeper, regionalized (probably Alabama) southern accent than you hear people speak with now. It is bourne out of the region's french influence mixed with appalachian.
More oddly contrasted was some actors missing accent all together as in Cheryl Campbell's Lady Carbury. How would a cad like Felix end up with a mancusian accent coming from a home with refined nearly-american accents like her's and her daughter Hetta? Strange choice, that he would put that vocal suit on.
Even with these minor quafs, the film is just an excellent ride.
Movie Review: Posh Society...or is it?
Summary: 4 Stars
This DVD produced by non other than the BBC sticks fairly close to the book it was adapted from by Anthony Trollope. The cast was remarkable and the sets and costumes were all lavish indeed.Short version of plot: Lady Carbury wants nothing more than to sustain her good name and in doing so, tries in vain to get her wayward son Felix , who is a cad if ever there was, to find a decent and, more importantly wealthy girl to marry. Should that plot fail, her daughter is available for the right price so to speak. There are too many sub-plots to this that are intriguing and although seemingly complicated, not hard to follow.
Overall, it was a fine adaptation although, not as finely detailed as the book . If you read the book you may find some of the casting decisions to be a bit quizzical.
It is a bit on the pricey side, so unless you are an Anthony Trollope fan, just rent it. I am not so sure that I will watch this again, although I have read the book twice.
Cheers!
Movie Review: Adequate Entertainment
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this primarily to see Matthew Macfadyen. Since seeing him in Pride and Prejudice and Spooks I've been looking for other of his works and this one does not disappoint. He is an excellent cad in this mini-series, unfortunately he does not show up as much in the second half as in the first. When he does appear on screen he is fabulous and funny.
Melmotte drones on and on in soliloquies in his demise. The relationship between him and his daughter is disturbing and she thankfully gets the better of him eventually. Shirley Henderson who plays Marie his daughter is a wonderful actress. When she learns Felix really doesn't love her you can feel her heart breaking. The "main" love story between Felix's sister Hetta and Paul Montague was subdued and lacked any real passion.