BBC's "The Way We Live Now" with Matthew Macfadyen, Cillian Murphy and David Suchet!

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, Adapted by Andrew Davies

Here is another one of those wonderful BBC adaptations which you either love, or you haven't yet seen. So which category do you fall into? I really adore this one. It romps along, probably due to the fact that the scriptwriter is my beloved Andrew Davies, and who better to wrestle this wonderful book onto the screen for us? It is also perfectly cast with David Suchet (well known as Hercule Poirot) as financier Augustus Melmotte, an immigrant to Victorian London who not only wants to make big money, he wants to be a Member of Parliament in order to really fit in with the upper crust!

Matthew Macfadyen as bad boy Sir Felix Carbury in The Way We Live Now

Matthew Macfadyen really gets to have some fun as the bad boy for a change. As the gambling, manipulative rake Sir Felix Carbury, Macfadyen really seems to be enjoying himself. Apparently the character in the book was detestable, but you can't help but like Sir Felix and sort of root for him to finally get his act together.

Shirley Henderson as Marie Melmotte being wooed by Sir Felix- I want that dress!

Shirley Henderson is hilarious as the daughter of Augustus Melmotte, wooed for her money by Sir Felix, she is impossible to take one's eyes off of. A bit over the top but in a really great way, Marie Melmotte really comes into her own at the end!

Cillian Murphy as Paul Montague, Victorian Engineer in The Way We Live Now

The rest of the cast is peppered with gems such as the ever pretty Cillian Murphy as the idealistic Paul Montague who just want to build a railroad, dammit! And Paloma Baeza is radiant as Hetta Carbury, sister of Sir Felix who has to choose between good old cousin Roger mouldering in the country or the pretty boy who travels the world. Hmmmm....who shall she chose?????

Try to ignore the horrible American accent on Miranda Otto's Mrs. Hurtle, and concentrate on the wonderful Jim Carter as the lovable Jewish gentleman Mr. Brehgurt and the grasping Georgianna Longestaffe (played to perfection by Anne-Marie Duff).

Anyway, can you tell that I liked this one? I'd pop it in the DVD player right now, except Spooks/MI5 is about to come on PBS and they are on the ones with yummy Adam Carter (Rupert Penry-Jones) running around catching spies. So.....bye for now!