Mike Leigh and period drama may sound unlikely bedfellows but in his
latest film, Topsy-Turvy, the master of contemporary conflict and strife tackles an era previously reserved for Messrs. Merchant and Ivory.
Branching out into Victoriana, he has come up with a vibrant and
kaleidoscopic portrait of the operetta maestros Gilbert and Sullivan and
their troupe. And Leigh has clearly relished his new challenge, lovingly
re-creating the productions, interiors, social mores and customs of 19th
century artistic society, while simultaneously carving out the contrasting
personalities at play.
It is London, 1884, and the 15-year creative partnership between composer
Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) and librettist W.S. Gilbert (a wonderful
Jim Broadbent) is threatened by their contrasting demands, shifting
personal interests and desperate need for a hit. An impasse is crossed
only after a visit to a Japanese exhibition in London inspires Gilbert to
write a new libretto called 'The Mikado' which Sullivan agrees to score.
Much of the remainder of the film is taken up with scenes of rehearsal for
the opening night intercut with sequences from the finished production.
And, while it undoubtedly helps to be a Gilbert and Sullivan fan (Leigh
obviously is!), there is still plenty here which entertains. Timothy
Spall's needy baritone Richard Temple enjoying games of verbal
circumlocution with his fellow 'artistes', a conversation on a new device
called a telephone, a moment of inspiration from a Japanese sword and a
couple of bedtime talks between Gilbert and his wife all offer moments of
wit and insight .
That said, the film's extended takes and the inclusion of extraneous
scenes, characters and material (a rehearsal session is captured in all
its tedium - the point being made long before it ends) are unnecessary
extravagances in this marathon of a film which runs for more than
two-and-a half hours. Ultimately, Leigh seems so enamoured of his subject
matter, cast and own lofty ambitions, that Topsy-Turvy just sags under the
weight of it all.
Reviewed by Monika Maurer
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