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Amazon.co.uk Review
At first glance, a musical period comedy-drama about Gilbert and Sullivan seems an odd fit for director Mike Leigh, who made his name with searing, intense contemporary dramas such as Secrets and Lies and Career Girls. What could the Victorian world of light opera offer a film-maker who specialises in the world of modern-day middle-class England? Plenty, as it turns out. A wonderful meditation on the creation of art, Topsy-Turvy catches Gilbert and Sullivan at a crossroads in their illustrious careers. Having scored numerous hits (like The Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore), they've reached a creative dry spot with their latest, Princess Ida. Composer Sullivan (Allan Corduner) despairs of ever being taken seriously, and vows to write a "serious" piece, much to the consternation of librettist Gilbert (Jim Broadbent), who's flummoxed and unyielding when asked to change another of his whimsical, "topsy-turvy" scenarios. All seems lost when, thanks to his wife's insistence, Gilbert attends a Japanese exposition in London, and faster than you can say "Three little maids from school are we", inspiration strikes.
The rest, as they say, is history, but Leigh re-creates the creative process with meticulous and loving care, from the writing of The Mikado to its staging (wherein Gilbert acts as director), costuming, orchestration, rehearsal, and ultimate premiere. Some may balk at the running time of the film (almost three hours), but it's a journey well worth taking, down to the precise details of late-19th-century London. Still, you'll know you're in Mike Leigh territory, with his precise characterisations and a heartfelt, melancholy ending. And no one has a way with actors like Leigh. This peerless ensemble, headed up by Broadbent in an Oscar-worthy performance, inhabit their characters like a second skin, and it's wonderful to see an authentic-feeling period drama in which the actors resemble real people and you don't expect someone glamorous like Helena Bonham Carter or Rupert Everett to pop up. Gilbert and Sullivan aficionados will revel in the re-enactments of The Mikado (newcomers will likely be won over, too). All in all, a breathtaking film. --Mark Englehart, Amazon.com
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Interactive Menu, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: Mike Leigh's Topsy-Turvy is such a faithful rendering of a past era, it's as though the director time-warped his cinematographer back to 19th century England. In his first period piece, Leigh transplants the grittiness of his films' usual working-class British milieu, and the result is a Victorian England with a lived-in look, rather than one glossed over by a fanciful sheen. Armed with this sort of authenticity, Topsy-Turvy becomes a new classic among movies, documenting the behind-the-scenes fits and foibles of a dramatic production. And what better production than The Mikado, the hilarious turning point in the careers of Gilbert and Sullivan, whose precarious professional status made the choice of a Japanese-themed operetta all the more fraught with peril. Leigh lets loose and gets big laughs from his cast of prima donnas getting fitted for kimonos and taking lessons from the misinformed about how to "act Japanese." But the film also contains Leigh's noted finesse for examining emotional distance, most notably between Gilbert and his long-suffering wife (Leslie Manville). And Leigh regular Timothy Spall is unforgettable as he tries to swallow his wounded pride, learning only days before the premiere that his big number will be cut. Topsy-Turvy is the rare film in which grand-scale art direction and intimate character study both feel absolutely true. To echo the succinct praise of Broadbent's Gilbert, Topsy-Turvy is "capital."
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, Oscar Academy Awards, Venice Film Festival, ...Topsy-Turvy
SCREENED/AWARDED AT: BAFTA Awards, British Independent Film Awards, Oscar Academy Awards, Venice Film Festival, ...Topsy-Turvy
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
TT wins a new generation of G&S fans,
By
This review is from: Topsy Turvy [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
Make no mistake, this film succeeds on many levels, not least in resurrecting Mike Leigh's career just when you thought there was no more scope for improvised dialogue! His treatment of Gilbert and Sullivan is sympathetic, given the reputation of both men for being grumpy and irrascible. Both come across as human and three dimensional, certainly not cardboard cutouts. Both notably come alive as the Mikado project gathers pace, though Gilbert's evident distate for his own libretto is also noted. Broadbent and Cordunier are magnificent, easily worthy of Oscars (Jim Broadbent's award for Iris was evidently also a recognition of performances such as this.) In fact, all of the ensemble cast are all stupendously credible and entertaining. Taking the viewer through rehearsals may be tedious in some eyes, but offers a fascinating glimpse of the creative process in action. The music is a clear winner here, bringing out the nuances of wit and inspiration in the text and showing just why G&S were the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice of their day. Splendid effort - can't imagine the subject matter being given a more rousing encore!
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the year's finest films,
By A Customer
This review is from: Topsy Turvy [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
'Topsy-Turvy' marks something of a departure for Mike Leigh, but a most rewarding one, the result being one of the most entertaining, wonderfully performed period dramas the cinema has seen in an age. Great dialogue and direction keep the film moving at a sprightly pace and make you wonder where the 150 minute running time went, especially in the second half. The DVD delivers on picture quality and though loses points for not being anamorphic, gains them back through the inclusion of a commentary track by Mike Leigh that is one of the best I have yet heard, giving a wealth of detail about the film's production and the facts behind the film.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
GILBERT & SULLIVAN BROUGHT TO LIFE,
This review is from: Topsy Turvy [DVD] [2000] (DVD)
This is a delightful film.It can appeal to almost anyone, full of wonderful characters, the story of how Gilbert & Sullivan came to write their masterpiece The Mikado is facinating...... Jim Broadbent brings W.S. Gilbert within reach, a dour, typically Victorian gentleman, yet the driving force of the partnership. His gift for seeing the comic in verse balanced by his attention to the detail of production is complimented by Sullivan's response with music of the greatest lyricism. All the cast are magnificent, so many stories within the main story. The set design, costumes and overall feel for the period draw you into the film.... The storyline interspersed with performances of parts of the opera makes the whole a joy to watch. The film stands alongside : Amadeus (Mozart) and Immortal Beloved (Beethoven) as great films about musics greatest artists. The best compliment I can pay to this film, which I have watched eight times, is that I would be happy to watch it again tonight...... For lovers of period drama, Gilbert & Sullivans music or anyone who loves masterful filmaking......ENJOY.....
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