The Way We Live Now (2001)

Lack of good storyline.

How sad is this?

Good movie but grossly overrated

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

So amusing to see how hard viewers will avoid the obvious in the face of political correctness that makes even accurate observation so unpalatable that key motivation and character must be ignored in favor of blithe disregard.And this is the Trollop novel in which the famous Trollope ploy is played in the game between Mrs Hurtle and her lover. This was the key to solving the Cuban missile crisis according to Ted Sorenson and others all though disputer by others involved.A fine series of performances, although Mrs Hurtle is less Southern, than Antipodean, with her accent

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.

If you watch Masterpiece Theatre with any frequency, you will long since have noticed that the BBC, which provides Masterpiece Theatre with its best material, seems to have access to an inexhaustible supply of superior actors -- mostly, though not all, British stage performers and mostly British trained. "The Way We Live Now" gives more proof of how deep BBC's acting bench is. David Suchet, the star of this series is familiar to American audiences for his portrayal of the fussy and fastidious Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, created by Agatha Christie. The character he plays here could not possibly be more different than Poirot. He is a crude, unethical financier who seems large physically though Suchet is on the small side. Supporting Suchet is a sizable cast of actors, most of whom are complete unknowns to American audiences. They are all good and several of them are excellent. Where were Helen Mirren and Judi Dench before they became stars in Hollywood? Learning and applying their craft in Britain. Perhaps it is the acting schools and the repertory companies that turn these actors out in such profusion. Perhaps it is the quantity and quality of theaters and stage companies that give them opportunities unavailable in the U.S. Whatever the reason, the overall strength of the cast is what distinguishes this British TV series as it generally distinguishes British-made films from their American counterparts. American films may be superior in other respects but not for acting that merges effortlessly into the role.

"The Way We Live Now", like most Victorian period satire, looks into the lives of numerous characters sorting through the intrigues and foibles of romance, wickedness, power, and the pursuit of peerage and property. A lightly perfumed costume flick which tilts unabashedly between comedy and drama, this story centers on a crude but rich businessman (Suchet) whose powerful performance is the backbone of the film. Side plots include an issue fraught romance, an attempt to marry into a fortune, a scheme to build a railroad from Utah to Mexico, cheating at love and cards, politics, a woman scorned, and much more. A four hour TV miniseries from the BBC, "The Way We Live Now" has plenty of time to sort through its many characters while tidying up at the end making it a busy and enjoyable Victorian period film. A should-see for anyone into BBC TV fare, Victorian period stories, and 19th century pulp fiction. (B+)