Quick Summary: A fun film, but probably only of interest to Gilbert & Sullivan fans, fashion lovers, and serious students of Victoriana. (Translation: I *loved* it, but your mileage may vary . . .)

Title: Topsy-Turvy

Release: 1999

Director: Mike Leigh

Starring:

Jim Broadbent (W. S. Gilbert)

Allan Corduner (Sir Arthur Sullivan)

Topsy-Turvy is a dramatization of the events leading up to the composition Gilbert and Sullivan's most famous work, The Mikado. Set in 1884 and 1885, the film presents day-to-day Victorian life, while telling the story of how the two vitriolic collaborators managed to overcome their differences at a difficult time in their partnership to write, score, and rehearse the famous work. Overall, this is a fun film, but it is probably only of interest to Gilbert and Sullivan fans, fashion lovers, and serious students of Victoriana.

The movie ably achieves a sense of place and era; the meticulous attention to costume design, interiors, and the small details of everyday life make this film a must-see for lovers of Victorian homes and fashion. The costume design is particularly good, with most characters appearing in multiple outfits throughout the film, all of them quite accurate to the period and gorgeous to look at. The only aspect of the setting which I would say was lacking is a sense of the passage of time. Watching the film, you could believe that all the action takes place over a few weeks, when in fact, composition and rehearsal of The Mikado took nearly a year.

W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan are presented as believable, real people with genuine flaws. Similarly, their colleagues at the Savoy Theatre are shown to be hard-working and serious about their craft, but also a collection of unique individuals. Interestingly, the actors in this film all did their own singing in the show-within-a-show scenes, and the result sounds satisfyingly real, especially in rehearsal segments. Keep your eyes open when new cast members appear, too; you'll recognize a lot of faces from other films.

While the film has too many plot-free segments (scenes with Gilbert's parents or with Sullivan's lover add nothing to the film), it is redeemed by the beautiful presentation of rehearsal and opening-night scenes from The Mikado. There are also short excerpts from Princess Ida and The Sorcerer. All of the theatrical segments are simply beautiful. Costumes are based on the original costumes used in 1884/1885, the stage design is gorgeous, and the orchestra and chorus both know their business. These segments of the film are a real treat for Gilbert and Sullivan fans, or indeed, anyone interested in musical theatre. That said, there isn't much here for people who don't like musical theatre - the plot, sans music and gorgeous visual setting, isn't compelling enough to keep the film going on its own.

In short, if you're a fan of Gilbert and Sullivan's style of comic opera, or love the Victorian period, you'll find Topsy-Turvy to be a fun way to spend a few hours (I enjoyed the film thoroughly). If you don't fit that description, however, there probably isn't enough here to keep you interested.

Originally Written: September 13, 2010