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Topsy-Turvy (Widescreen) | 
| Director: Mike Leigh
Actors: Allan Corduner, Dexter Fletcher, Sukie Smith, Roger Heathcott, Wendy Nottingham
Studio: Polygram USA Video
Category: DVD
Buy Used: CDN$ 37.19
Rating:  94 reviews
Sales Rank: 27178
Format: Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Picture Format: Array
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 630589423X
UPC: 696306001928
EAN: 9786305894230
ASIN: 630589423X
Theatrical Release Date: January 14, 2000
Release Date: July 1, 2001
Availability: Usually ships within 1 - 2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Ships from USA. Delivered in 10-15 business days. Satisfaction guaranteed!!
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| Customer Reviews: Read 89 more reviews...
COLORFUL AND FREQUENTLY HILARIOUS LOOK AT MUSICAL THEATRE.. July 4, 2004
Shashank Tripathi (Gadabout)
While somewhat self-indulgent in its length (over two hours!), it's a complete delight in every way. Leigh's dialogue is as witty as his direction is fluid, the music is glorious, and the performances polished from almost everyone in the ensemble. pThe principal reservation I have is that those of us in the audience who may not be aficionados of GS works will leave the theater in the dark about the themes of the compositions. Just what is The Mikado--a piece which lampoons British society but which distances the satire by situating the action in Japan? (P.S. The features on the DVD take care of this, so they may be worth watching prior to the movie.)pYet, Leigh evokes a very authentic atmosphere, creates credible characterisations, and is ultimately not afraid to balance the realities behind the performances with certain matters left in the air at the end. The passion for art (whether it be Gilbert Sullivan operettas or, you know, clay sculpture) is what burns intensely in this movie. Some may judge this film as stuffy or high-nose, but the tremendous heart of this film is almost impossible not to be carried away by.pA very unusual but satisfying treat.
 ONE OF THE BEST OF THE LAST DECADE January 30, 2004
Jerry Engelbach (Brooklyn, NY)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might have revealed a glimmer of intelligence amid the cheap glitter had it awarded Mike Leigh and Jim Broadbent the Oscars they deserved (it won for costume design and makeup), instead of showering accolades on the excellent but far over-rated American Beauty.pThe only reason I can see for other reviewers describing Topsy Turvy as a comedy is Broadbent's portrayal of Gilbert as a man of limitless wit. It is about comedy, and much of it is funny, but by the end of the film one has been touched by the humanity of its characters and the perfect period performances of GS masterpieces.pA fine, fine movie, too subtle and witty for an audience that usually bestows its honors on the biggest noise.
An improbably great film from an unexpected source November 24, 2003
Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA)
This delightful retelling of the creation of the Gilbert and Sullivan masterpiece THE MIKADO is as improbable a product from the hands of Mike Leigh as a Hollywood shoot-'em-up would have been from Jane Campion. Leigh had made his reputation by crafting some amazingly intimate films about human relationships in films like the astonishing SECRETS AND LIES (which features in Brenda Blethyn one of the two or three greatest performances ever by an actress in any film). The idea of doing a historical recreation of Gilbert and Sullivan is not one that easily attaches itself to Leigh. Nonetheless, this film is in every sense masterful and entertaining.pWith a director of the ability of Mike Leigh, it is no surprise that the film is superb as a production. Everything is superb about the film. The art direction and set design is extraordinary, and I can't imagine a historical film more compellingly done than this one. Moreover, the musical numbers are exquisitely done, and always convincing. pIn the end, however, as superb as the direction and the design are, what drives this movie are the performers. This is a very fine ensemble cast, many of them Mike Leigh regulars, like the very fine Timothy Sprall, who winningly plays Richard Temple. Jim Broadbent has since the release of TOPSY-TURVY managed to establish himself as a superstar character actor through films like MOULIN ROUGE, NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, and IRIS (for which he won an Oscar). I always marvel at his range and his ability to sell any role. He is stellar here as the Stoic and emotionally conservative W. S. Gilbert. I really enjoyed Shirley Henderson (who I recently saw in a great Danish/Scottish film WILBUR WANTS TO KILL HIMSELF, which I hope will get released in the United States) in her smallish role as a musical performer who is struggling with problems of addiction (like many others in the D'Oyly Carte company). The relatively unknown (at least in the U.S.) Martin Savage stands out as George Grossmith, the person who not only starred in the Gilbert and Sullivan musicals, but was the foremost musical stage performer of the late Victorian age, sort of London's answer to Mandy Patinkin a hundred years later. Grossmith also wrote a highly popular book with his brother Weedon, THE DIARY OF A NOBODY. I could go on and on about other performers who stood out in small but impressive roles, such as Lesley Manville, who has a heartbreaking scene as Gilbert's unfulfilled and quietly unhappy wife.pIt has to be emphasized that this is not a movie only for fans of light opera. It really is irrelevant whether someone does or does not enjoy Gilbert and Sullivan. This is primarily a movie about people, about show business, and about how a group of flawed and merely human beings can collaborate in producing something phenomenal. This is not a niche film. It is a film to be enjoyed by anyone who enjoyed movies at their best.
Rich Characterization + Great Music November 21, 2003
David R. Eastwood (Long Island, NY)
TOPSY-TURVY is a richly plotted bio-pic focusing on how W. S. Gilbert and Sir Arthur Sullivan (who seemed to be burnt out and suffering from writer's/composer's block) gained their second wind and came back big time with THE MIKADO. Their very different personalities are clearly portrayed in both their professional and their private lives. In and around the main action are dozens of "minor" characters, all vividly presented. We get an excellent sense of what late Victorian life was REALLY like in London among the theater crowd, AND we get the excellent, clever GS soundtrack that should make thousands of new fans for DVDs and CDs featuring the operettas of these two amazing men. Heart-warming and poignant, this is a DVD you'll want to watch over and over. As a "page-to-stage" story, TOPSY-TURVY is far superior to the totally bogus film SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
 Highly overrated October 25, 2003
TrezKu13 (Norfolk, VA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I am an avid Gilbert and Sullivan fan. I am. Thats why I saw this movie! In fact I got the rest of my family to watch it because I thought it would be good. But...well...I was disappointed.pFirst off, its a whole hour before we learn any thing about the Japanese influence. Now I know what you're thinking: I'm mad because they put too much time into developing the relationship between Gilbert and Sullivan. Well, no...that hour isn't spent developing their characters. Almost five minutes just has Sullivan surrounded by naked French women. It had no purpose, could have given the film a PG-13 rating with it, and quite frankly offended me. pWhen the Japanese influence for the Mikado finally comes you'd think you'd get a lot of joy from the film then, but you don't. They take random actors or characters and give them about five minutes of development. The guy who plays Ko-Ko is seen taking drugs. OK? And...then they don't develop it. They also randomly throw in songs, and while I have nothing against GS songs they just hurt the pacing the way the filmmakers use them.pAnd then, the film just ends. And it ends on a serious note. Yes, unfortunately, its one of those British comedies that tries to be funny while keeping a serious tone. Note to Hollywood: that doesn't work. Then as if to cover it they have titles at the end that try to be funny. But they don't really tell you what happened to Gilbert or Sullivan afterward, nor do they really develop the impact of the Mikado.pSo what do I suggest to my fellow Gilbert and Sullivan fans? Buy the soundtrack for the Mikado. You'll get much more joy from that than this film.
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