Topsy-Turvy

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Kevin L The masterful Mike Leigh takes on Gilbert & Sullivan with an exceptional cast. Broadbent, Manville, Corduner, and Henderson are esp. impressive. Arias and arrogance; bitterness and bedroom ruminations; The Mikado and some kabuki; all strained through the posh and unpardonable of British high society. 3.4 stars Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/02/25 Full Review Mary Jane W The set design and the editing are BEAUTIFUL. Of course, the music, but no one praises enough the sets-costumes, the sheer Beauty of this movie, or praises -- at all -- its intelligent witty reasonably-paced editing. I want to take an editing course from Robin Sales, an editing tutor at the British Film and Television School. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/05/25 Full Review David F This backstage drama about the trials and tribulations of Gilbert and Sullivan’s working relationship and their creation of the comic opera The Mikado presents a panoramic view of the late 1800s British theatre world. Great music, light comedy, and very thorough period details make for splendid entertainment. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/07/25 Full Review S R Informative and entertaining movie about Gilbert and Sullivan. I especially appreciated it since I had acted in "The Mikado" and this showcased that. It also showed what that time period was like and how people were lived at many different levels of society. Saw on HBO and because it was on the Time Out Best British Films list. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/10/24 Full Review Taylor L "I'm going out to seek a bit of Italian hokey-pokey, and I care not who knows it." Heavy with period production value, Topsy-Turvy is an exploration of the collaboration between Gilbert and Sullivan in their later years, with a creative relationship that has seen success and tension in equal measure. Leigh gives these most celebrated musical theatre virtuosos the full period drama treatment, granting ample time to their relationship, individual personalities, and the world around them with subplots revolving around other figures of the British stage and the world of Victorian sensibilities, all in elaborate costume and sets covered in heavy drapery and lace doilies. Though Broadbent's Gilbert and Corduner's Sullivan are meant to be equal partners in reality (and both have their own idiosyncrasies), it's Broadbent that drops the hammer hardest with the full depiction of an accomplished, eloquent, and bristly perfectionist. Together, there's a lot to like not only in the story, but in the personality clashes and the understanding of the artistic process. The strength - and weakness - of Leigh's depiction of the backstage duo is the length. With it, the writer-director touches on not only his main characters but a raft of secondary roles fulfilled by a solid supporting cast that includes both Timothy Spall and Andy Serkis along with Kevin McKidd as a great girdle-wearing diva. Beyond that, there's also substantial atmospheric flourishes designed to give flesh to the surrounding world that took pleasure in the artistic output of Gilbert and Sullivan. But unless you're willing to immerse yourself fully in that world, it's understandable that some find the length to be too substantial; it's not just the final product, but each individual scene is much more drawn-out than you might expect. The film focuses on the duo's last major success, The Mikado, a play that had begun to attract criticism around the time of the film's release for its less-than-authentic take on Japanese culture. However, that's hardly something you can fault Leigh for, and he accurately catches that bit of stiff-upper-lip condescension, combined with a play that was always a British social satire with a thin Japanese veneer to dispel criticism. Some of the stage performances are definitely closer to Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's than anything else, but here it seems to be more making fun of the British sense of self-superiority than the culture that Gilbert and Sullivan were originally making light of. One of the most ambitious cinematic depictions of musical theatre ever attempted, and certainly worth the time of any fan of musicals. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/04/22 Full Review isla s This is a costume drama film depicting a curious true story. It features plenty of witty dialogue and some comedy - gentle comedy, I'd say. It also features plenty of pomp and fanfare. One quote I liked was 'the more I see of men, the more I like dogs!'. There's an element of operatic diva-ishness present, about both Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Sullivan. The fact Japense people were accused of not being (or not appearing in posture) Japanese was clearly laughable! It's (thankfully) tactfully pointed out that they are in fact Japanese people, to which Gilbert replies "well, yes, of course, that's why their here!"(!). There's a certain quaintness about this film I enjoyed. It shows up English stereotypes and the upper classes of its time, I suppose. Timothy Spall is quite funny in his role, as Richard Temple and also present is Jim Broadbent and Simon Callow, among others (Lesley Manville etc.). The musical numbers and costumes are fun and I liked that there's more information provided by text just before the credits. Overall, I'd definitely recommend this film, yes. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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