Maxwell

As a fan of David Suchet, I looked forward to seeing Maxwell. And I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I thought it was superb not only because of the strength of the story and script but of the acting. The production values are top notch with great photography, costumes and scenery. The story is compelling, the pacing is well judged and the script is very intelligent. The direction is also very confident and has a good balance of the comedic touch and the dark touch. The acting is very strong, all the supporting performances are very good but it is David Suchet in an exceptional performance as Maxwell who carries the drama. All in all, Maxwell is nothing short of excellent, and I recommend it highly especially if you like Suchet. If you are, you are in for a treat, because this is one of his better non-Poirot performances. 10/10 Bethany Cox

At the age of 23 i can remember when Robert Maxwell died, this TV film does a great job of explaining some of the mystery behind the man, David Suchet is superb as the control Freak that is Captain Bob.

Anyone who likes the Wallstreet "greed is good" type will enjoy this, but spare a thought for the people who lost pensions, and a good quality of life in their old age. Cant wait for the DVD!

The tenacity of the man is quite superb in terms of business, but also a sense of a man craving someone to love him (which is apparently quite an apt observation from what I've read about him). The way in which people around him never seem to be able to truly work out what he is going to do is truly the sign of a mans true power. Pension stuff aside is he really worse than Rupert Murdoch (Maxwells great enemy)?

My Review - Maxwell Streaming on Prime My Rating. 8/10

Maxwell is a BBC tele movie I hadn't heard of till reading an article about its star David Suchet who plays Robert Maxwell the Czech born British media baron who was in direct competition with Rupert Murdoch .

Based on some factual events that script writer Craig Warner has cleverly embellished for dramatic effect .

Maxwell " portrays the last few months of a driven egomaniacs life and how he manipulated and intimidated his executives and family to bend to his will.

Robert Maxwell's character who in life was a former member of Parliament as well as being a suspected fraudster and spy could easily have been the inspiration for Logan Roy the character that Brian Cox portrays so beautifully in Succession .

The family characters are even similar and some fine performances from Ben Caplan as Maxwell's son Kevin who lives in his fathers shadow plus an all time favourite of mine British actress Patricia Hodge who plays Betty Maxwell the wife who has reached her use by date as far as Maxwell is concerned.

It's a very interesting cast we even get to see Dan Stevens (3 years before Downton Abbey) as Basil Brookes the young account executive who tries to reason with his megalomaniac boss.

David Suchet who plays Robert Maxwell is a superb character actor I always enjoy his performances. I've seen him play roles ranging from his signature role as Hercule Poirot to Lady Bracknell and even cast as a dynamic Vatican Cardinal Benneli on stage in Sydney in The Last Confession.

He excels playing powerful men and Robert Maxwell who was obviously a powerful but repellent British tycoon who turned money laundering into an art form.

This 90 minute movie is so well done and a credit to all involved including Director Colin Barr.

I was at Highbury Stadium the night of Maxwells disappearance was announced on tv. I reckon it was suicide. The chickens had come home to roost. Prison would have awaited his return. David Suchet gives a fine performance as Maxwell. Maybe slightly over the top but that was Capn Bob. Bombast and arrogance mixed with a machiavellian nature.

Cap'n Bob became prominent in 1984 when he purchased the Mirror Group Newspapers which he used as his own publicity machine and their pension fund as his own loot.

Maxwell also embellished his own personal history, a Czech born émigré who claimed to speak perfect English in a matter of weeks. Maxwell fought for the British army and later became a Labour MP.

David Suchet when he is not playing ace sleuth Poirot has a fondness for playing real life, over the top personalities with a dark even a malevolent streak.

Here he plays a slightly trim Maxwell. Its obvious Suchet has skipped a strict KFC only diet to play the obese Maxwell.

This Maxwell eats a lot. He also fights a losing battle with his girth as he uses plush towels to wipe himself at the toilet and having a testy relationship with his wife.

At the office he quietly but ruthlessly humiliates his own son in the boardroom before showing him how to negotiate down the price of newsprint.

However spiralling debt would lead to Maxwell's demise as he strived to become a global player and be a rival to Rupert Murdoch.

It was noticeable that on the day he died, the then editor of the Independent Newspaper, Andreas Whittam Smith was the first person to state that the Mirror Group as well as the other Maxwell companies will be broken up as they were heavily in debt.

Here we see a Maxwell hurtling towards disaster, running out of options, and becoming paranoid. A ruthless crook raiding his staff pension funds.

Suchet plays to Maxwell's contradictions. He wants to be part of the establishment but it does not want him.

Maxwell, the man of the people doing so much for charity but then with a banker, urinating from the side of his skyscraper on to the people on the street below.

Suchet does not want to portray Maxwell as a pantomime villain as he had a rough charm with his cynicism.