
You don’t have to be a rabid fan of musical theater to enjoy Topsy Turvy, but if you think the lyrics of Limp Bizkit are profound, chances are this movie will be lost on you. For those of us not in either category, Topsy Turvy is an interesting and captivating, if lengthy, lesson on Gilbert and Sullivan’s significant place in musical theater history.
The movie begins with the established success of William Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) hitting an artistic block. Having already produced such popular operettas as H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance, Sullivan finds himself frustrated by the seemingly repetitious nature of his collaboration with Gilbert, the librettist (he writes the words, Sullivan composes the music). Sullivan longs to write music of emotion and depth. Gilbert has a fondness for magic potions as a major plot point. Their creative union is in a rut.
Gilbert’s meekly devoted wife Lucy (Lesley Manville) takes him against his will to an exhibit of Japanese culture. Gilbert is initially bemused, then fascinated, and ultimately inspired. He proceeds to write the text of one of the most popular operettas in history, The Mikado. I’m not familiar with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan, but Topsy Turvy made me wish I were. Gilbert’s writing for The Mikado is nothing short of amazing. Surprisingly timeless and clever, his lyrical structure practically defies physics in its complexity, yet the words he uses to construct are simple and tangible.
Jim Broadbent is outstanding as William Gilbert. He plays Gilbert with a hyper-focused intensity that is both stern and charming. He is the clear standout in an altogether excellent ensemble of performers. Other notable performances come from Timothy Spall as Richard Temple and Martin Savage as George Grossmith. The costumes by Lindy Hemming and the production design by Eve Stewart are notable as well.
To me, this movie was more interesting than entertaining. Not a bad thing. It dragged in some places and spent too much time developing certain characters. The behind-the-scenes personal problems of the cast members were not riveting or even very important. The acting is strong enough that the characters are fleshed out without the addition of needless detail, like morphine addiction or single motherhood. It was distracting.
Topsy Turvy is an extremely well-made movie. The director, Mike Leigh, gets incredible performances from his actors and is obviously adept at staging. It’s also quite apparent from this movie that he highly regards the work of Gilbert and Sullivan. Topsy Turvy is incredibly respectful, quite beautiful to look at, but kind of boring and too long. Not unlike actually seeing an opera.
+ David Kern
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