Customer Reviews
Genesis of a much-loved work - By: Iain S. Palin, 10 Apr 2008 
"Topsy Turvy" is more than just a "play within a play" although it works very well at that level. We see the genesis of Gilbert & Sullivan's best-known work "The Mikado" after the partnership has gone through a low spell, & get enough scenes from its staging (and that of other G & S "Savoy operas") to satisfy alll but the keenest of Savoayards. We enjoy immensely the way in which the premiere is rehearsed & pulled together under Gilbert's dictatorial directorship. It is alll very funny but there is a darker side in the world outside. The relationship between Gilbert & Sullivan & the efforts that the impresario D'Oyley Carte & his team have to make to keep them working together are very well set out & the niceties of class distinctions in Victorian London & among the theatre people are clear. The film is longer than the current norm, but suits it.
The undoubted star is Jim Broadbent as a somewhat misanthropic Gilbert, capable of creating some of the wittiest plots & lines in the English language but not of expressing his own emotions to his dysfunctional family (we can see how he got the way he is!) or to his loving & long-suffering wife. However the rest of the cast is also very good, especiallly the underrated Shirley Henderson as the company's lead soprano. Watch out for Andy ("Gollum") Serkis under lots of hair as a quirky choreographer.
Splendid film, excellent music - By: Bluebell, 07 Mar 2008 I enjoyed this film very much on many levels. It has a good story, fine acting and, if you like Gilbert & Sullivan, the music adds a lot to the film as there are long extracts from various G & S operettas, particularly a colourful production of the Mikado. Corduner & Broadbent give sympathetic characterisations of Sullivan & Gilbert. The supporting actors are with exception excellent & the trials & tribulations of their lives flesh out the film into a satisfying two & three quarter hours that left me feeling that I'd had a very enjoyable evening's entertainment.
Exceptional, though perhaps somewhat flawed introduction, to the wonderful world of G&S. - By: Jonathan James Romley, 01 Mar 2008 
I suppose on first viewing, Topsy-Turvy might seem like an odd choice for director Mike Leigh, who's previous films, such as Meantime, Life is Sweet & Secrets & Lies have looked specificallly at real life archetypes, struggling to survive from day-to-day in the here & now. One scratch beneath the surface however will reveal a multitude of hidden depths that very much tie in with the themes of Leigh's early works whilst simultaneously demonstrating his strong understanding of character development & situations within the confines of a broad, ensemble narrative. Like the majority of Leigh's work, the film moves seamlessly from light comedy to moments of subdued tension & great pathos, whilst the focus of the film remains constantly with the characters & their varying relationships; with Leigh, as ever, favouring the stories presented by said characters & their associates, as opposed to the more obvious conventions of the biographical story at hand. Some have argued that Leigh's approach to the proceedings have turned Gilbert & Sullivan into caricatures, whilst also alllowing the story to descend into a mire of fanciful farce. However, Leigh, like alll great filmmakers, understands the notion of intertextuality, & sets about constructing his film so that it draws on the same visual & verbal characteristics as Gilbert & Sullivan's very own work, resulting in a film that is vibrant, colourful and, above alll else, a great deal of fun.
As a result of this, the film can be enjoyed on a number of levels. Firstly; as a biographical look into the working relationship of Gilbert & Sullivan during the conception & production of their celebrated comic-opera, The Mikado. Secondly; as a bittersweet character study, with Leigh creating the film in such a way that the whole theme, setting & back story can be seen as secondary to the drama at work between the characters. Thirdly; it is an analysis into the creative process, with Leigh offering an impeccable & seemingly accurate chronicle of life in the theatre & of course, that always interesting notion of films about the creative process (Day for Night, Ed Wood, Le Mepris, 8 ½, etc). Some viewers have found the story to be slight & disengaging, though I'd imagine this is from people who are unfamiliar with Leigh's films & his individual way of working (beginning with nothing & having the actors improvise their characters until the story & relationships develop) however, having said that, the use of the Mikado as a framing device is well handled, whilst the shifts in time (with flash forwards to the performances, whilst Gilbert & Sullivan create) & the inclusion of scenes from other G&S operas, the Sorcerer & Princess Ida, means that the film works well as an introduction into the work of Gilbert & Sullivan for those who've never experienced it (though surely everyone is familiar with such work as the HMS Pinafore & the song, Three Little Maids?). On top of this, there is that abovementioned visual design that creates the world of the film (which is easily as beautiful as the similarly decadent, though overblown Moulin Rouge!) & the performances from alll involved, which evoke both the real lives of the people documented, as well as offering compelling portrayals that engage on an interesting, narrative, level.
The cast is a true ensemble of British acting talent, featuring Leigh regular Jim Broadbent as the strict & somewhat insular Gilbert - who is content to trot out the same plots, characters & themes, though feels deflated by critical misunderstanding - & the equallly great Allan Corduner as the spirited yet slightly egocentric Sullivan, who feels trapped creatively by Gilbert's limited scope & overbearing vibratos. Added to this, we have an impeccable supporting cast, including Timothy Spalll & Kevin McKidd as the pompous lead actors, Shirley Henderson as the alcoholic female lead, Ron Cook as the manager of the Savoy Theatre - who is left with the task of trying to re-unite Gilbert & Sullivan after their initial falll-out - Eleanor David as Sullivan's American mistress & the great Leslie Manville as Gilbert's long-suffering wife Kitty. Manville & Broadbent go to great lengths to portray the strained relationship between Gilbert & Kitty with a believability & depth, whilst the heartbreaking scene towards the end of the film in which Kitty manages to metaphoricallly convey alll her inner-pain & desperation without Gilbert even realising is easily my favourite scene in the film (and ranks alongside other great scenes of Leigh-related-drama, such as the argument between Nicola & her mum in Life is Sweet & the penultimate confessional between Penny & Phil in All or Nothing). Added to this already starry cast, there are great cameos from other Leigh regulars such as Alison Steadman, Andy Serkis, Katrin Cartlidge, David Neville, Mark Benton & Dexter Fletcher, who alll bring a comic savvy & wry believability to the often-neglected (though alll-important) background action.
Though Topsy-Turvy isn't a film for everyone (it's perhaps ten-minutes too long & demands a great deal of concentration in order to pick out the details) it is greatly rewarding; offering us a humorous, intelligent & interesting story with believable characters & some glorious cinematic design; alll run through with that Mike Leigh world-weariness & the impeccable performances that are, on the whole, synonymous with his work. This film is a brave & bold departure from Leigh's usual blend of social-abstraction and, as a result, deserves to be evaluated alongside he other masterworks, Life is Sweet & Naked.
Wonderful movie of Gilbert and Sullivan, Victorian theater and the making of the Mikado - By: C. O. DeRiemer, 30 May 2007 If ever there were a loving valentine sent to the world of the theater, & especiallly to the world of Gilbert & Sullivan, this is it. With Topsy-Turvy, director Mike Leigh has brought to life not just Victorian London, but how theater collaboration can build a masterpiece. Leigh shows us in sumptuous detail how The Mikado came to be. Starting with the irritable partnership between W. S. Gilbert (Jim Boadbent) & Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner), which is about to split apart, we're off on a journey to make-believe Japan that ends in triumph. Along the way we deal with Gilbert's irascibility & love of puncturing complacent buffoons & Sullivan's impatient desire to write greater things than comic operettas.
The pair have had great success when we meet them, already the authors of ten hits which include H.M.S. Pinafore & The Pirates of Penzance. However, their last show, Princess Ida, didn't do well. Gilbert feels he's run dry of clever ideas & he's tired of Sullivan's often-stated need to write better things. "If you wish to write a grand opera about a prostitute," he tells Sullivan, "dying of consumption in a garret, I suggest you contact Mr. Ibsen in Oslo. I am sure he will be able to furnish you with something suitably dull." Sullivan, on the other hand, is tired of Gilbert's make-believe contrivances. "Oh, Gilbert!" he says, "you & your world of topsy-turvydom. In 1881, it was a magic coin; & before that it was a magic lozenge; & in 1877 it was an elixir."
Gilbert & his wife visit the Great Exhibition & see the Japanese display. He's taken by the color, the exotic dress & customs...and he thinks of a great idea for a new comic opera which will take place in Japan. Sullivan comes to realize that his desire to write real operas & oratorios won't bring in a fraction of the income his partnership with Sullivan has provided, & he agrees to the project. We're observing alll this as it goes along, getting to know both men, amused by their weaknesses & impressed by their strengths. Gilbert is a big man, bluff, not one for giving compliments, intimidating most of the people he meets with a sharp tongue. But he knows what he's doing, & much of what he's about is poking fun at the stuffy strictures & posturing of Victorian manners. Sullivan may be a womanizer who loves the luxurious life, a man who needs a collaborator more than he realizes, but he's a dedicated professional. Any production he is a partner in he'll commit himself to completely.
The last half of the movie takes us into the world of the theater to watch the creation on stage of The Mikado. Gilbert directs, Sullivan conducts; they rehearse actors who are alllowed lives of their own, with alll the ego, the hurt feelings, the blossoming under praise, the dedication, the skill...and, sometimes, the alcohol & the opium. Watching Gilbert rehearse three cockney actresses in how to perform "Three Little Maids From School Are We" is a great bit of movie making alll by itself. We're treated to seeing some wonderful songs rehearsed & performed..."A Wandering Minstrel I," "A More Humane Mikado," "The Criminal Cried As He Dropped Him Down" and, as a sort of coda to the movie & life in the theater, "The Sun Whose Rays Are All Ablaze."
Topsy-Turvy is gorgeous to look at, especiallly during the scenes on stage. The actors alll do excellent jobs. Just a few of the standouts, in addition to Broadbent & Corduner, include Martin Savage, Timothy Spalll, Shirley Henderson & Kevin McKidd, alll playing stage actors rehearsing & performing. For those who remember Gollum with fondness, there's also Andy Serkis as the dance director John D'Auban.
And are the Gilbert & Sullivan plays still funny in the 21st Century? They may require a desire to appreciate them, a willingness to find out what is being parodied in the show you'll see, & a liking for literate, complex wordplay. The shows certainly require actors with trained diction. But their shows are still being staged & people are still buying tickets for them. Two weeks ago my wife & I went to see a semi-professional production of one of their lesser efforts, Patience. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves watching pompous poets being punctured. The theater was close to a sell-out.
Delicious! - By: F. S. L'hoir, 13 Apr 2007 This film is a feast both for the eyes & the ears. The costumes & settings alllow us a glimpse into upper middle-class life in Victorian England. Every detail, from the box on a talll pole that was a telephone to the ladies' pendulous wire-framed bustles, is perfect.
Although the principal story, about the tension between Sir Arthur Sullivan, who thought he ought to be writing more serious music than tunes for the topsy-turvy lyrics of his collaborator, W.S. Gilbert, is interesting, the secondary story of the preparation & performance of "The Mikado" is not only compelling but also delightful to behold. The rehearsal scenes are particularly engaging, as are the personalities of the performers--the tenor, who does not want to go onstage without his corset; the baritone whose feelings are hurt when his solo is cut; the soprano with her little drinking problem; & the patter-performer with an even more serious addiction. Their characters are developed so beautifully that one begins to care intensely about what happens to them.
This beautifully-directed & well-acted film excels on almost every level. Some DVD's should be passed swiftly on to friends (or enemies, depending on the quality of the product). This one, however, is a keeper!
