Topsy-Turvy (1999)
Country: GB/US
Technical: DeLuxe 160m
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ron Cook
Synopsis:
London, the 1880s. Composer Arthur Sullivan resolves to write no more operettas for the Savoy but is finally tempted back when librettist Gilbert has a Japanese inspiration...
Review:
Having devoted about an hour to establishing character and setting, the film settles down into a record/commentary of the gestation of The Mikado. This is no putting-on-a-show musical, however, for Leigh injects the satirist's observation so familiar from his other work and allows screen time for quite marginal characters in order to give a complete picture, furnishing evidence of present suffering and hints of future misery among the cast and producers of works which are escapist to the core. The result is the work of a true fan, but one with no illusions.
Country: GB/US
Technical: DeLuxe 160m
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ron Cook
Synopsis:
London, the 1880s. Composer Arthur Sullivan resolves to write no more operettas for the Savoy but is finally tempted back when librettist Gilbert has a Japanese inspiration...
Review:
Having devoted about an hour to establishing character and setting, the film settles down into a record/commentary of the gestation of The Mikado. This is no putting-on-a-show musical, however, for Leigh injects the satirist's observation so familiar from his other work and allows screen time for quite marginal characters in order to give a complete picture, furnishing evidence of present suffering and hints of future misery among the cast and producers of works which are escapist to the core. The result is the work of a true fan, but one with no illusions.
Country: GB/US
Technical: DeLuxe 160m
Director: Mike Leigh
Cast: Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Timothy Spall, Lesley Manville, Ron Cook
Synopsis:
London, the 1880s. Composer Arthur Sullivan resolves to write no more operettas for the Savoy but is finally tempted back when librettist Gilbert has a Japanese inspiration...
Review:
Having devoted about an hour to establishing character and setting, the film settles down into a record/commentary of the gestation of The Mikado. This is no putting-on-a-show musical, however, for Leigh injects the satirist's observation so familiar from his other work and allows screen time for quite marginal characters in order to give a complete picture, furnishing evidence of present suffering and hints of future misery among the cast and producers of works which are escapist to the core. The result is the work of a true fan, but one with no illusions.