Subscribers! Add a note to this movie and/or put it into one of your private movie lists.
Notes:
William Schwenck Gilbert is the librettist, writing the words. Arthur Sullivan is the composer, writing the music. Gilbert is the very model of a 19th Century British gentleman, an overly proper married man certain that he knows best - - which he often does. Sullivan lives a freer life, almost libertine by comparison; but there is a seriousness of purpose in him.
Drama - This portrait of Gilbert and Sullivan will hold the most appeal to
older fans of classic musical theater. The film's length and
subject
matter will not hold much appeal to younger moviegoers.
PROFANITY: Rare use of strong profanity. SEX/NUDITY: Brief non-sexual nudity. VIOLENCE: None. DRUGS/ALCOHOL: Alcohol, tobacco, and IV drug use. ACTION: None. COMEDY: Lots of verbal and situational humor.
How would Mike Leigh, renowned fashioner of contemporary human drama,
approach the fashioning of Victorian-era light opera? As it turns out, he does so with detail, detail and more detail -- occasionally to nerve-wracking excess in this unconventional biography of Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Sullivan (Allan Corduner). When Topsy-Turvy finally hits its stride it's an extraordinarily entertaining piece of work. To get there, you have to push through a ton of back story that, while never tedious, does feel meandering. In most films, the extra weight would probably have sunk the whole endeavor. Blessedly, Topsy-Turvy is that rare film that gets better with every passing minute, building to an enchanting final hour.
Be sure to read the
DETAILED OPINIONS
The positive and negative comments made by moviegoers are very
helpful when selecting a movie that's appropriate for you and your family.
William Schwenck Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) is the librettist, writing the words. Arthur Sullivan (Allan
Corduner) is the composer, writing the music. Gilbert is the very model of a 19th Century British gentleman, an overly proper married man certain that he knows best - - which he often
does. Sullivan lives a freer life, almost libertine by comparison; but there is a seriousness of purpose in him.
For nearly a decade, Gilbert and Sullivan's collaborations have delighted the English people. Their popular comic operas have recouped handsomely for the successful Savoy Theatre; impresario Richard D'Oyly Carte (Ron Cook) himself is a stabilizing influence, gently but firmly overseeing the two men.
But, in 1884, as a London heat wave cuts into the theater trade, their latest work, "Princess Ida," receives lukewarm press. Sullivan wants to quit and compose more serious music, but the two are contractually obligated to create a new work for Carte. Sullivan rejects Gilbert's next idea as "topsy-turvy" and unbelievable, and although Gilbert tries to accommodate him, they cannot agree. Mired at a creative impasse, Gilbert and Sullivan can barely converse.
Then, Gilbert's wife, Lucy "Kitty" Gilbert (Lesley Manville), drags him along to a Japanese exhibition. Exposure to the very different culture sparks inspiration in Gilbert. He rebounds, conceiving "The Mikado." The concept encourages Sullivan, and the production comes together.. .which is when the truly hard work begins: the actors (including the dedicated Richard Temple [Timothy
Spall] in the lead role) must be rehearsed, coddled, and rehearsed again. While striving to cohere as a company, the players' private lives color their work - - but no more so than Gilbert and Sullivan's own, as "The Mikado," makes the difficult, but ultimately rewarding, transition from page to stage.
