When the story opens in 1884, things are not looking good for the celebrated, immensely popular G&S. Their most recent operetta, Princess Ida, has been something of a flop, and Sullivan (Allan Corduner) is beginning to feel that he has not fulfilled his full musical potential. Simply put, he is tired of writing catchy music to Gilbert’s comical stories of “topsy-turvydom,” stories that are essentially comic fluff that always rely on a contrivance to see them through. Sullivan wants to compose something grand and new--something important. Gilbert (Jim Broadbent), in his own staunchly bull-headed way, does not understand, therefore he cannot fathom why Sullivan refuses to write music to his latest story, which unsurprisingly is about a magic potion. Additionally, G&S are under pressure to produce a new work because they are under contract to do so with Richard D’Oyly Carte (Ron Cook), the man who built the Savoy, a theater dedicated to their operettas. Lightning strikes when Gilbert’s wife, Kitty (Leslie Manville), convinces him to go with her to a Japanese cultural exhibit. Impressed by the exotic Japanese way of life, Gilbert is inspired to write The Mikado, which Sullivan sees as enough of a departure from their usual routine that he agrees to write the music, and the rest of the film details the inner workings by which The Mikado is brought to life on-stage.

Topsy-Turvy was written and directed by Mike Leigh, and at first this might seem like an odd choice of material for a director whose previous films, such as Naked (1993) and Secrets & Lies (1996), focused primarily on turmoil in modern British life. However, Leigh spent his early years working in the theater, and his passion for it is obvious. He brings a unique eye to Topsy-Turvy, and his strict attention to detail and his uncommon method of involving his actors in the creative process of forming the script (he calls this process “organic”) infuses life into material that could have easily become another stiff, British period production. The film is filled with tiny details, from the meticulous set design to the wonderful costumes (which won an Oscar for designer Lindy Hemming). Life in Victorian England is brought to vivid, colorful life, but the time and place never overwhelm the characters.

Much of the film’s success hinges on the two main characters, and Jim Broadbent and Allan Corduner make Gilbert and Sullivan into rich, fascinating people. Broadbent, who wrote and starred in Leigh’s shockingly hilarious 30-minute British TV film A Sense of History in 1992, makes Gilbert introverted and obstinate. Sullivan, whose short stature and thin frame makes him the physical inverse of Gilbert, is just as obstinate, although his social liberality and aspirations to greatness make it obvious why he needed a partner like Gilbert.

Leigh’s screenplay is sharp and amusing, filled with witty dialogue and keen observances about life in late 19th-century London. The form of the screenplay is loose, allowing for the plot to come to literal standstills so that entire numbers from G&S operettas can be staged in the front of the camera (Leigh wisely understands that G&S’s work must be allowed to speak for itself). The films develops its own flow and rhythm, and these musical interruptions do not so much delay the narrative as they enlighten our understanding of the characters and what they accomplished. After all, how could one possible make a film about Gilbert and Sullivan without paying their greatest achievements--the operettas themselves--the proper respect?

Copyright ©2011 James Kendrick

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