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Film Review By Corrine Hicks
Victorian England now belongs to centuries past. Among that period's foremost
artists were a duo whose first names, simply because their last names are so inextricably linked,
have been nearly forgotten: Gilbert and Sullivan.
William S. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent) and Arthur Sullivan (Allan Corduner) worked together between 1871 and 1896. I'd never previously paid attention to them. Their work seemed to require librettos and, with only a few exceptions, opera is a strain on my patience. Light hearted operettas—which seemed to be the only fare Gilbert and Sullivan had to offer-- somehow failed to spark my interest either. Even so I noted how, throughout the decades, gay culture buffs have admiringly dropped the names of Gilbert and Sullivan into their conversations. At first I'd wondered if the famous duo were a flamboyant couple like Oscar and Bosie. But no. Gilbert and Sullivan often found it difficult to put up with each other. Their personalities clashed more noticeably than cymbals. Gilbert was a misanthrope. Typical of certain "stiff upper lip" Englishman in his time, he exuded a nauseous cynicism, if not a downright disgust for living. When his operetta enjoys a manifest London success, he sees it "as good as any condemned man can expect." His mother gets her due as "a vicious woman who bore me into this ridiculous world." Sullivan, though a sickly conductor, smiles broadly even while his kidney problems erupt.
Topsy-Turvy is a period drama. Never too heavy or doom laden, it takes theatre-goers behind the scenes and into the lives of The Mikado's cast, including a rehearsal in which the personalities of Gilbert and Sullivan intrude. And though I did not previously appreciate the beauty and color of such operettas, the full-length musical numbers in this film have changed me. This is a movie meant for theatre folk, for those who love tales of backstage heartaches mixed with the glitter, glamour and downright fun that actors and actresses enjoy among themselves. There is plenty of good humor in Topsy-Turvy, showing how theatrical productions are born, raised, and then placed before their adoring audiences. There's something more than this, however. It's a realism that Director Leigh has expertly captured. While the cast of The Mikado works out its own salvation with diligence, viewers are made aware of what good therapy these show people have chosen. There is desperation at first, but, as in all good Show Biz tales, the satisfaction of a job well done. |
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