Being young and not terribly familiar with the legendary writer-composer team of William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, I approached the latest Mike Leigh movie with some measure of uncertainty; I was of the opinion that if any films or filmed stories were to blast past my ear and "over my head," then this one would be it. Sure, I had heard of the pair, I vaguely remember seeing the film-ization of their "Pirates of Penzance," and I believe "Star Trek: Insurrection" made a reference to their "H.M.S. Pinafore." Outside of that and from what I had learned from reading about Leigh's "Topsy-Turvy," a film about their collaboration on and the production of "The Mikado," I knew almost nothing about Gilbert and Sullivan.
But it's not necessary for a moviegoer to be well versed in this theatrical duo to enjoy "Topsy-Turvy," for the film introduces them well enough that following the events that transpire on the screen is easy enough for any educated person. Not that this is "Gilbert & Sullivan For Beginners," but it would be easy enough for one to fall in love with their operettas and librettos after seeing this movie, just as one could take a shine to the works of Shakespeare after seeing John Madden's "Shakespeare in Love."
It's both a meticulous and vibrant recreation of the late nineteenth century, when G & S dominated the British stage, an insightful study of the creative process, and one of the best and most enjoyable films of 1999. It is also a better film about the theatre than "Shakespeare in Love," forsaking the broad, burlesque flamboyance of that film, and unlike that film, it unquestionably deserved to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
By no means aiming to be a comprehensive biography, rather it begins when the two are at the height of their success, both financially and critically, on the opening night of their latest production, "Princess Ida." Unfortunately, somewhat due to the unbearable heat and mostly due to audience ennui, it's a flop. William S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) has a horrible toothache, with which he's willing to endure, so long as he doesn't have to visit his dentist. When he finally does, even the dentist tells him -- Gilbert with too much orthodontic gear in his mouth to protest -- his complaints about "Ida." There are other issues, too. Sullivan (the composer, played by Allan Corduner) is growing weary of working with the uptight, exacting Gilbert, and takes an extended vacation to Paris, where he receives reports on the show's performance over the telephone, using code. Their manager eventually convinces him to return to listen to Gilbert's next idea, but when he hears that it's going to be yet another long, arduous production of the same, worn-out story concept, he realizes he's had enough. Sullivan and he agree to part ways, and they are no more.
Time passes. Gilbert's wife takes him to a world's fair-type exposition on Japanese culture. Soon after, he gets the fire in his belly and the idea for a new production, this time set in that alien, Far East culture: "The Mikado." Sullivan is persuaded to rejoin him, and the show is born.
The remainder of the film -- roughly an hour -- is the best part: Mike Leigh gleefully pulls back all the curtains of pre-production, rehearsal, and the side stories of the actors and management. Although the John Madden film gave us the Globe through and through, the Savoy is much more interesting, and much more fun. We are treated to an abundance of brilliantly executed scenes, some funny, some angry, some very sad, all convincing. All are done with nary an eyebrow raised in exaggeration, but unlike most other historical dramas, the film they comprise is not done in by the temptation by the maker to sacrifice the living texture of the people in favor of stiff, starched costumes and immaculate sets. The historical detail is there, and its rendering is quite a feat, but Mike Leigh's London is lived-in, messy, and his characters are as convincing as they are in all his other films. In short, this movie is not a museum piece, but like a successful historical reenactment should be, it's a conveyance which, for two and a half short hours, wraps its audience in an envelope of a specific time and place without for an instant hinting that they are watching a film.
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