Topsy-Turvy (1999)

Topsy-Turvy (1999) (DVD) (*)

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Screened, competed or awarded at:
BAFTA Awards
British Independent Film Awards
Oscar Academy Awards
Venice Film Festival
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 5.1 )
Italian ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Italy ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
159 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.85:1)

Special Features:
Interactive Menu
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1999 and produced in:
United Kingdom ( Great Britain, Ireland )

Directed By:
Mike Leigh

Written By:
Mike Leigh

Actors:
Allan Corduner ..... Sir Arthur Sullivan
Dexter Fletcher ..... Louis
Sukie Smith ..... Clothilde
Roger Heathcott ..... Banton
Wendy Nottingham ..... Helen Lenoir
Stefan Bednarczyk ..... Frank Cellier
Geoffrey Hutchings ..... Armourer
Timothy Spall ..... Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Francis Lee ..... Butt
William Neenan ..... Cook
Adam Searle ..... Shrimp
Martin Savage ..... George Grossmith (Ko-Ko)
Jim Broadbent ..... W. S. Gilbert
Lesley Manville ..... Lucy Gilbert
Kate Doherty ..... Mrs. Judd

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.'

After their production 'Princess Ida' meets with less-than-stunning reviews, the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan is strained to breaking. Their friends and associates attempt to get the two to work together again, which opens the way to one of their greatest successes.
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Although a respectable hit, Gilbert and Sullivan's 'Princess Ida' is criticised for being routine. Arthur Sullivan tends to agree, finding he has run out of musical ideas for Gilbert's increasingly predictable stories. He would rather be composing a full opera, an idea that jeopardises not only the pair's relationship but the future of the stage company that Richard D'Oyly Carte has built around the comic operas. Then Mrs Gilbert persuades her husban

This product was added to our catalog on Tuesday 11 May, 2021.