Rating: 
Summary: What happened to the humor?
Review: It's amazing how what looks like a documentary on the making of a very funny operetta (which I saw performed at Gordon College a week ago and laughed myself silly) could be so serious! Even the scenes of Mikado being performed have no sense of humor. Throughout you'd think they were staging King Lear!
Rating:
Summary: Everything was great except the screenplay
Review: Topsy-Turvy (to the extent that it's "about" anything) is about Gilbert and Sullivan and the making of The Mikado (definitely one of their best works.) I love Gilbert and Sullivan's work, and I knew that the story of their relationship was very interesting. The previews also looked very interesting, so I was quite anxious to see this film. The actual film was hugely disappointing to me, however.I am a firm believer in the importance of plot in filmmaking. If you do not believe plot is important, or do not demand a fast pace in the absence of plot, you may quite enjoy the meandering nature of this visually appealing slice of Victorian life. For me, though, the film never quite clicked on any level. I could definitely see the things that others liked about the film: The casting was good, the acting was excellent, the cinematography was beautiful, and the film definitely reproduced the feel of its era effectively. It featured excellent renditions of several bits of The Mikado (though these performances were overly static in order to preserve the Victorian feel.) What the film didn't do, though, was entertain, tell a really interesting story, or even educate effectively. It had all the elements of a great Victorian drama without much actual drama, and the elements of a refined Victorian comedy with very little actual humor. There were far too many little subplots (drug-addicted singers, and the like) whose sole purpose seemed to be either to give bit players the opportunity to show they could act or to impart minor bits of historical information. The problem was, there was no follow-up on any of these scenes. Something seemingly momentous would happenm but there would be no effect on anything else anywhere in the movie. I realize that the filmmakers were trying for historical accuracy, but this is supposed to be a movie, not a documentary. (If it were a documentary, of course, they could just tell you what happened in such cases). The film covers a relatively short period in the lives of Gilbert and Sullivan, and as a result we never get to see the real blow-ups between them (the arguments we see seem on the order of minor spats). We don't get to follow the development of their careers, the course of their relationship, or anything of the sort. We simply see how The Mikado got them out of a temporary creative rut, interspersed with random bits about the people in their lives. A number of scenes clearly had the feel of improvisations constructed on the spot to illustrate one fact or another, regardless of whether the fact really deserved the five minutes of screen time such an improvisation would take. Also notably missing from the film was humor, which is particularly annoying since the film focused primarily on one of the foremost humorists in a time when people went to great effort to speak wittily. There were mildly humorous bits interspersed throughout, but not with sufficient frequency that this film could in any way be considered a comedy. Perhaps tighter editing would at least have prevented the film from wandering quite so aimlessly. Perhaps a higher proportion of performance clips would have made the whole more lively. Perhaps the filmmakers could have chucked historical verisimilitude and just gone for an entertaining take on the whole story of Gilbert and Sullivan. As it is, though, I just felt that this film was mostly a waste of my time.
Rating: 
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: This is a landmark movie in that it is the first ever costume drama that does not romanticise the events it portrays, i.e. Merchant Ivory, etc. It depicts people in late-Victorian England doing exactly the same things we do: hold meetings, ask for pay-rises, go to the dentist, etc. In that way, and in the amazing attention to detail, the audience is actually taken back to London in the 1890s. Another important thing: You DON'T HAVE to be a G&S fan to enjoy this movie. The music, although prevalent, takes second place behind the story-telling. You can ignore the music and look at the wonderful scenery. Please see this movie. You'll never want to see another Merchant Ivory film again.
Rating:
Summary: G & S Finest Hour!
Review: The Mikado IMHO is G & S finest overall work! "Topsy Turvy" is a
fitting tribute to G & S, the love that was put into this film can
seen from start to finish. I am most happy about the reviews
written here by those finding G & S for the first time. Last week we
attended a performance of the Mikado by the Virginia Opera & it was
first class all the way. The house was packed & the audience swayed
back and forth singing along to all the songs. Just guess the first
movie we watched right after seeing the production?
Rating:
Summary: A must have for hardcore G&S fans
Review: When this movie was originally released last year....I refrained. Maybe I was afraid that two peoples whose work I very much admired wouldnt be treated with the respect they deserve seeing as the music and sensibilities can appear a bit dated to those not enthralled with it. But a few weeks ago, I just happened to watch it on cable and...its absolutely brilliant!
This movie is a showcase in subtle storytelling and directing..little by little the director pulls you in to the world of G&S so much so that even non-fans could follow the story and appreciate it. And of course, long time G&S fans will be tickled pink to get a bit of an inside view into the minds and lives of the men who gave us the musicals we love so well. What can I say?..The acting is superb, the storytelling is wonderfully sublime..and this movie is absolutely hilarious at time( namesly, the corsett controversy). I mean...were it not for the laws of time and space..at times I almost could believe I was watching more a documentary than a movie, the performances were so real. And of course...the icing on top is the music. If you are a true G&S fan, you will find yourself humming along to alot of the tunes, and the reherasal and performance scenes will tease you, esp if like me, u havent had the good fortune to ever see a play of thiers performed live. All in all, this movie is a gem, and ranks high on my list of the best period piece movies of all time. Good work Mr.Leigh-A.N.
p.s.- of course, it doesnt hurt that pic quality and cinematography is very lush and colorful..they went the extra mile to recreate the mid-late 19th century accurately
Rating:
Summary: BRILLIANT! BUY 10 FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
Review: GREAT DVD. YOU CAN JUMP TO YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AND SKIP THE BROTHEL AND THE DREARY SISTERS/MOTHER SCENE AND THE LOST CHORD SING FEST. GILBERT'S READINGS OF HIS LIBRETTO AND SULLIVAN'S REHEARSAL ARE WONDERFUL. GILBERT'S 'MISS SIXPENCE PLEASE' REHEARSAL OF 'THREE LITTLE MAIDS' IS FASCINATING.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Movies in One...
Review: ...and that's actually not such a good thing--keeps it from getting five stars from me, and I'm sure that will break somebody's heart somewhere. "Topsy Turvy" is an excellently put together piece, but the problem is that it is dreadfully long, so much so that I suspect it was actually a miniseries that they decided to release at a single sitting. The first half of the film depicts the two very different men who comprised the team of Gilbert and Sullivan. We see the rather trashy bon vivant lifestyle of Sullivan, living it up in a house of ill repute at one point, and this is contrasted to the stodgy household of Gilbert, who seems vaguely repressed in his marriage and has one old "w"itch of a mother. Now, there I was in the movie theatre on New Year's Day with some friends watching all this and I was doing alright for well over an hour, when suddenly I was seized with terror as the thought popped into my head: "Hey, isn't this movie supposed to be about the staging of 'The Mikado'? They're not even REMOTELY near that yet!" And so I knew that I was in for The Long Haul, a movie that seemed to last for five hours. And of course, they did a wonderful job of that whole sequence too, when they finally got round to it. So, the thing to keep in mind with "Topsy Turvy" is this length. If you rent it, consider it a two-parter, and stop in the middle to sleep or whatever, and then come back to it the next day. Also, I think you really would have to have some appreciation for the oeuvre of Gilbert and Sullivan beforehand. Two of my friends were so into it that the film just breezed by for them, while a third woman just conked out and slept through a large part of it. "The Mikado" is one of G&S's best scores, and the singers turn in A+ performances as the original Mikado cast members--you get as caught up in their lives as with G&S's. Wonderful costuming and the traditional British eccentric acting help put the film over beautifully, provided that you've got enough grit to make it through to the credits. Rent well advised, and you'll do fine.
Rating: 
Summary: Good film despite meandering needlessly at the beginning
Review: I thought the film meandered needlessly at the beginning before getting a shot of adrenaline when Gilbert conceives his idea for The Mikado, which is hard to believe since Mike Leigh is usually quite economical with his films. But there are so many excellent scenes, especially during the 'rehearsals' portion of the film. And I like how the little obstacles that presented themselves in the staging of The Mikado did not pay off in an obvious fashion. When the light opera is performed with great aplomb and without a hitch, it is obvious that the actress with the bad leg and the actor with the morphine habit and the other actress with her bouts of depression are simply pros and that's that. No contrived complications. And I'm a sucker for this backstage type stuff to boot.
Rating:
Summary: Sullivan might even have been pleased...
Review: with this delightful film. Jim Broadbent is priceless as the often sarcastic always curmudgeonly Sullivan! The way in which the story of the writing of The Mikado, and actual footage of the production is presented, makes one long to rush out and find a local productions of anything written by this remarkable pair.
Rating:
Summary: I Love This Movie!
Review: ...I am a professional musician and enjoyed the musical scenes, especially the rehearsals. If anyone has been in a musical, those scenes will be particularly memorable. The acting was superb. Jim Broadbent, Alan Corduner and Martin Savage were all wonderful. I thought Martin Savage stole every scene he was in--very watchable. And, of course, the unforgettable music and scenes of "The Mikado" are the focus of the movie. I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't find this movie totally enjoyable. Bravo to Mike Leigh and all concerned.
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